"It is devastating for her."
A British businessman, who was put on death row despite later being proven innocent by a judge, died while still a prisoner in Florida.
Kris Maharaj, who was convicted of the murder of two business associates, died in the prison hospital “after 38 years fighting injustice”, his lawyer Clive Stafford Smith said.
His wife Marita said: “I promised Kris in 1976 that we would be together until death do us part, and I am devastated that he died alone in that horrible place.
“I want him brought back to the UK for burial as the last place he would want to be is where he was falsely charged with murder.
“Then I will devote the rest of the time that God allows me to clearing his name, so I can go to meet him in heaven with a clear conscience that I have done my best for him.”
Mr Maharaj was born in Trinidad but moved to England in 1960.
He was convicted by a Florida court in 1986 for the double murders of father and son Derrick and Duane Moo Young in a Miami hotel room.
Mr Maharaj was originally sentenced to death and spent 17 years on death row.
With the help of the campaign group Reprieve, his death sentence was overturned in 2002 and commuted to life.
Mr Maharaj insisted he was innocent and said he was nowhere near Room 1215 of the Dupont Plaza Hotel on the night the father and son were killed.
His lawyer said his wife was with him at the time of the murders.
In 2019, a judge ruled he was innocent.
However, the US Court of Appeals ruled the evidence of innocence was not enough to free him.
Before his imprisonment, the businessman was a self-made millionaire who made his fortune importing bananas into the UK.
He owned racehorses and Rolls-Royces.
Mr Maharaj travelled to Florida to buy a retirement property.
One evening, they were eating dinner in a restaurant when he was arrested.
Within months, the businessman was convicted of double murder.
He said in 2020: “When they found me guilty, I passed out, I fainted.
“I just couldn’t believe you could be found guilty [of] something you didn’t do – murder.”
Mr Smith, who founded Reprieve, revealed he had to tell Mrs Maharaj her husband had died “lonely and alone”.
He said: “It is devastating for her.”
Mr Smith added she was a “unique spouse” as she “stood by Kris for 38 years” and “she did not just believe her husband to be innocent, but knew it”.
He added: “We will certainly fulfil her wish and his, that is to continue to exonerate him for this crime that he patently did not commit.”
Mr Smith said Mr Maharaj’s body will be returned to England and the funeral will take place in Bridport “in due course”.
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