Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, Great North Innocence Project seek post-conviction relief for Bryan Hooper

(Minneapolis, MN) – Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced Tuesday that her office will join a petition submitted by the Great North Innocence Project on behalf of Bryan Hooper to vacate his 1998 conviction for the murder of Ann Prazniak.

Ms. Prazniak was 77 years old.

“Ms. Prazniak’s death was senseless, and it deserves justice. But we are convinced that Bryan Hooper did not commit that crime; he has been in prison for 27 years for something he didn’t do.” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “We can never return what was taken from Mr. Hooper in 1998 and for that, I am sorry. However, we can do the right thing today, and today we are joining the petition to vacate Mr. Hooper’s conviction.”

“We are grateful to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for joining in our request to vacate this conviction and return Bryan Hooper to his family,” said James Mayer, Legal Director of the Great North Innocence Project. “While nothing can undo the harm the Hooper family has suffered, this case can serve as an opportunity to examine how the system failed the Hooper family, and to consider how we can avoid such failures in the future.”

New evidence provided to the HCAO’s Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) by the Minneapolis Police Department supports the determination that Mr. Hooper had nothing to do with Ms. Prazniak’s death.

The CIU was conducting a thorough review of this case when, on July 29, 2025, it learned that the State’s key trial witness had come forward not only to recant her testimony against Mr. Hooper, but to confess to killing Ms. Prazniak and concealing her body.

Sgt. Mark Suchta of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) interviewed the individual, securing a recorded confession, and asked for it to be submitted to the CIU without delay.

The individual has nothing to gain and a great deal to lose; their statements are extraordinarily compelling, and in light of these new revelations, HCAO concluded it is impossible to stand behind Mr. Hooper’s conviction.

“This is the reason I created the Conviction Integrity Unit in this office. I also want to thank MPD investigator, Sgt. Suchta, for his swift action, and the work of MPD evidence and digital forensic staff who ensured the CIU had the information it needed to seek the truth. This collaboration mirrors the work between our two organizations and is the standard the community should expect,” Moriarty said.

The remaining evidence used to convict Mr. Hooper of Ms. Prazniak’s murder consisted of multiple incentivized witnesses, including what are commonly called “jailhouse informants.” In the years since Mr. Hooper’s conviction, most of those individuals have signed affidavits recanting their statements.

“Mr. Hooper’s case highlights the risks of relying on jailhouse informants,” Mayer said.

The parties have asked the Court to schedule the earliest possible hearing, at which they will ask the Court to vacate the conviction and set Mr. Hooper free.

About the Great North Innocence Project

The mission of the Great North Innocence Project is to free the wrongfully convicted and prevent future wrongful convictions from occurring in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The Great North Innocence Project, a founding member of the Innocence Network, has screened and investigated individuals’ credible claims of actual innocence and represented wrongfully convicted people for over 20 years. The Great North Innocence Project also educates attorneys and other criminal legal professionals on best practices and works to reform the criminal legal system to prevent innocent people from going to prison. For more, visit greatnorthinnocenceproject.org.

About the Hennepin County Conviction Integrity Unit

Establishing a CIU was a commitment made by County Attorney Mary Moriarty at the beginning of the administration to address wrongful convictions and build trust with the community. It is the first unit of its kind at the county level in Minnesota.

Data Snapshot

165 applications for review since the CIU launched in the fall of 2024
Completed initial review of 116 cases
48 marked for closing
54 in queue for full investigation
14 in active full investigation

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