Ronnie Long

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has granted a pardon to Ronnie Long, reaffirming Long's innocence and making him eligible for up to $750,000 in restitution for the decades he spent in prison for a rape he did not commit.

A North Carolina man who was wrongfully imprisoned for 44 years is seeking a formal pardon from Gov. Roy Cooper in order to receive compensation for the time he spent behind bars.

After spending 44 years behind bars, Ronnie Long spent the first night with his family after a North Carolina federal judge on Thursday vacated his…