In a rerun of “20/20” airing Aug. 23 at 9 p.m. ET, the show, which originally aired in 2022, revisits the case of Anthony Harris, who was 12 when he told investigators he killed his 5-year-old neighbor, Devan Duniver.

But even after a judge found him guilty, Harris and his lawyers insisted on his innocence, saying police coerced his confession by using intimidating interrogation techniques against the child.

Harris’ conviction was eventually overturned, and in an exclusive interview with 20/20, he talks about how his life was ruined and how frustrated he is that Devan’s killer has not been found.

Anthony Harris was 12 years old when he was charged and later convicted of the murder of his 5-year-old neighbor Devan Duniver.

Harris’ conviction was eventually overturned and more than 20 years later, he said, the gruesome crime still haunts him.

“She was so young and she had died,” Harris told ABC News’ “20/20” in an exclusive interview two years ago, holding back tears.

Harris, who served as a Marine, said he was frustrated that Devan’s killer was never identified or caught.

“The girl is dead, my life is destroyed, and this guy, this human being is still free,” he said during an interview with “20/20” that airs Friday, May 6, at 9 p.m. ET.

Harris’ sentiments were echoed by residents who searched for hours for Devan after she disappeared from her neighborhood in New Philadelphia, Ohio, on June 27, 1998. Harris claimed there were leads in the case that were not followed up.

Devan disappeared after going outside to play. When her mother, Lori, noticed Devan was gone, she searched for her all afternoon and called the police that evening. Harris and his family lived in the same apartment complex as the Dunivers and helped with the search.

Hundreds came to help in the search.

The next day, Devan was found dead in the woods behind her house, with numerous stab wounds to her neck.

Investigators claimed that when Harris was first questioned, he gave conflicting statements about where he was and what he was doing during the girl’s disappearance.

Two weeks after Devan’s body was found, police called Harris and his mother, Cyndi, to the station, where Harris, then 12, was taken to an interrogation room where Thomas Vaughn, the police chief of the nearby town of Millersburg, was present.

Harris’ mother could watch through a two-way mirror but could not hear what was being said.

Vaughn repeatedly questioned Harris about whether he killed Devan, according to the audio recording of the interrogation. At first, Harris denied any involvement, but he said Vaughn’s pressure got the better of him.

“The investigator basically told me, ‘If you confess to this murder, you can go home.’ It was like, ‘Okay. I’m scared here and I want to go home,'” Harris recalled.

Harris eventually confessed and was charged with murder. His case was a juvenile court case and therefore without a jury; Harris’ fate was decided by Juvenile and Probate Judge Linda Kate.

Harris’ attorney, Tarin Hale, attempted to have the taped confession excluded from evidence, but the motion was denied by Judge Kate.

“My statement was very clear, there is no evidence in this case. That’s all you need to know from me. There is no evidence here,” Hale told “20/20.”

Three members of the search party that searched the area for Devan in 1998 told 20/20 they believe there are troubling circumstances surrounding Devan’s death.

Donna Wenger, Nancy Niarchos and Jim Milliken all said they searched the area where Devan’s body was found and did not see her. They said they believe her body was later dumped at the site.

Wenger, Niarchos and Milliken each testified at the trial and recalled seeing a man in the area wearing a long-sleeved plaid flannel shirt. They said that was odd because it felt like a 90-degree summer day.

“I thought, ‘My God, this guy is creepy,'” Niarchos told “20/20.” “He looked so suspicious and he was right there. I thought, ‘What is he doing here?'”

In 1999, Kate finally found Harris guilty and imposed the maximum sentence: a prison term until he was 21 years old.

Harris, however, would get a second chance on appeal.

On June 7, 2000, the Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals overturned the conviction, finding that Harris’ confession had been coerced.

Harris was released the next day.

“There’s no point in being bitter,” Harris told “20/20.” “Even though it hurt a lot, it didn’t destroy my core as a person, the things I believe in, the things I grew up to believe. That’s why there’s no resentment in my voice when I speak.”

The murder of Devan Duniver is still unsolved.

The investigation was last reopened in 2005, when Richard Dobbins was appointed special counsel. He conducted a two-year investigation and ultimately concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute anyone.

Wenger, Niarchos and Milliken told 20/20 they were never contacted by the special prosecutor to discuss the case.

Ryan Styer, district attorney for Tuscarawas County, Ohio, who currently has access to the files on the special prosecutor’s investigation, told “20/20” that after reviewing the results, he believes investigators “invested a great deal of time interviewing numerous witnesses and known persons of interest.”

He said he also believed there was insufficient evidence to bring charges, but had asked authorities to speak to witnesses from the “20/20” trial.

Harris said he has not given up his drive to help find the person responsible for Devan’s murder.

“We’ll figure it out and give her some sort of closure,” he said.