William Mullins-Johnson released on bail

Sault Ste. Marie's William Mullins-Johnson was ordered released from prison this morning on $125,000 bail.

After spending more than a dozen years behind bars for a rape and murder that may never have happened, the Saultite was released into the custody of his great-uncle and his mother.

His mother, Laureena Hill from the Sault, posted $50,000 in bail.

The uncle, Gord Boissoneau, owns a school-bus business.

He put up $75,000.

Mullins-Johnson will live in the Toronto region until another court appearance on October 17 at which a more permanent address will be established.

Justice David Watt ordered that Mullins-Johnson be freed pending an application to the federal minister of justice for a review of his case.

Mullins-Johnson's four-year-old niece, Valin Johnson, was found dead in her bed on June 27, 1993.

He was subsequently was convicted of strangling and sodomizing the girl, but the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted believes Mullins-Johnson was convicted because of bad forensics work.

"I appreciate what the parents of my niece may have gone through," he told the court today.

"They've lost a little girl through no fault of my own. I loved that little girl and I know she loved me. My life has been torn apart by this, but I have a good support system."

His lawyer, David Bayliss, said last night that Mullins-Johnson was looking forward to being free again with both "anticipation and hesitation."

"It's a completely unknown thing for him," Bayliss said.

"He's had his whole life dictated to him for the last 12 and a half years, so suddenly he's going to be in a totally different situation and he's not sure how he's going to react. Nobody can be."

To see some images from CTV of what Mullins-Johnson looks like after his long stay in prison, please click here.