text: A 69-year-old mentally impaired man from Connecticut celebrated walking free from jail today after spending more than two decades behind bars for the rape and murder of his wife's grandmother. Last month a court ruled Richard Lapointe, a former dishwasher, was deprived of a fair trial for the 1987 killing and on Friday, a judge ordered him to be freed on $25,000 cash bail. The former inmate was photographed walking out of the hearing alongside his attorney and another supporter with his arms weakly raised in the air.In lieu of his prison jumpsuit, . Lapointe opted for a dark T-shirt over a dress shirt emblazoned with the words 'I didn't do it'. He later described his release as 'wonderful' and during a press conference he said he'd always dreamed of going home. His attorney said he will stay under a 7pm to 7am curfew with a couple in East Hartford. Last month a court ruled Richard Lapointe, a former dishwasher, was deprived of a fair trial for the 1987 killing and on Friday, a judge ordered him to be freed on $25,000 cash bail . One of his first requests Friday was for a steak dinner. He also expressed fascination with the smartphones reporters were using during the news conference. Lapointe confessed to raping, strangling and stabbing 88-year-old Bernice Martin at her Manchester apartment in 1989 and was sentenced in 1992 to life in prison without parole. Lapointe's lawyer and supporters said the evidence showed he could not have committed the crimes and his mental disability made him vulnerable to giving a false confession. His case became a cause celebre, receiving widespread publicity as advocates for the mentally disabled and other supporters - including writers Arthur Miller and William Styron - rallied to prove his innocence. Finally, last month the state Supreme Court ruled that Lapointe was deprived of a fair trial because prosecutors failed to disclose notes by a police officer that may have supported an alibi defense. The former inmate was photographed walking out of the hearing alongside his attorney and another supporter with his weakly arms raised in the air . In lieu of his prison jumpsuit, Lapointe opted for a dark T-shirt over a dress shirt emblazoned with the words 'I didn't do it'. The decision upheld an earlier ruling by the state Appellate Court, which in 2012 overturned Lapointe's convictions for capital felony murder, sexual assault and other crimes. The court ruled that Lapointe be released or given a new trial. Murder charges have been refiled but the prosecutor, Gail Hardy, said the state needs to review the evidence before deciding whether it can go forward with another trial. Lapointe is due back in court on May 15. On Friday Lapointe, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, shackles and thick glasses, was hunched over and visibly shaking as he sipped from a cup of water in court. His supporters and attorneys say Lapointe could not have committed the crime due to his disabilities. One of his first requests Friday was for a steak dinner - he also expressed fascination with the smartphones reporters were using during the news conference . Lapointe confessed to raping, strangling and stabbing 88-year-old Bernice Martin at her Manchester apartment in 1989 and was sentenced in 1992 to life in prison without parole (undated inmate photo above) He suffers from Dandy-Walker syndrome, which affects brain development and causes intellectual and physical impairments. They say Lapointe, who confessed after nearly ten hours of police interrogation, was railroaded under pressure and that he barely understood what was happening to him. Lapointe's release was processed by court officials, and he was freed from custody in the afternoon. The judge rejected a request by prosecutors that Lapointe wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. Defense attorneys say their client cannot drive and is barely able to walk, therefore he does not pose a flight risk. 'We are ecstatic that after all these years Richard is finally being freed. 'This was a travesty of justice from the start,' said Kate Germond, director of Centurion Ministries, a nonprofit organization that works to vindicate people who have been wrongfully convicted. 'He will finally get to sleep in a real bed and breathe some fresh air today for the first time since his unjust incarceration,' she said.
target: Richard Lapointe, a former dishwasher, confessed to raping and stabbing 88-year-old Bernice Martin at her Manchester apartment in 1989 .
  He was sentenced in 1992 to life in prison without parole .
  Lapointe's supporters said evidence showed he could not have committed the crimes and his disability made him vulnerable to a false confession .
  Last month a court ruled Lapointe was deprived of a fair trial and on Friday, a judge ordered him to be freed on $25,000 cash bail .