We are deeply grateful to every individual, organization, and partner who stands with us in the fight for justice. Your support advances our mission to provide vital services for exonerees as they rebuild their lives and lead efforts for lasting reform. Every donation, partnership, and act of solidarity helps us create spaces rooted in care, advocacy, and healing.
A special acknowledgment goes to our exoneree supporters – individuals who, despite enduring the unimaginable loss of freedom, continue to give back and uplift others on the path to healing. Their generosity is a powerful testament to resilience and community.
Sean Ellis — Donated over $500 after surviving 22 years of wrongful incarceration
Ricky Kidd — Donated over $500 after surviving 23 years of wrongful incarceration
Thomas Goldstein — Donated $6,000 after surviving 24 years of wrongful incarceration
Andrew Wilson — Donated $20,500 after surviving 32 years of wrongful incarceration
Learn more about their stories of wrongful conviction below. We honor and thank these remarkable individuals for their extraordinary contributions.
Sean Ellis spent 22 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
On September 26, 1993, Boston police detective John Mulligan was shot five times. A high-profile investigation led to the arrest of Sean Ellis, who was later convicted in 1995 amid serious concerns of police misconduct, unreliable witness identifications, and suppressed evidence. In 2015, a judge granted Ellis a new trial, citing a “rush to judgment” and major investigative failures. He was fully exonerated after nearly three decades.
Ricky Kidd spent 23 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. On February 6, 1996, George Bryant and Oscar Bridges were murdered in Kansas City, Missouri. Ricky Kidd was later arrested and convicted alongside Marcus Merrill, despite the key witness not identifying Kidd and no physical evidence linking him to the crime. Kidd maintained his innocence, providing an alibi corroborated by multiple witnesses. A 2019 court ruling found the prosecution withheld crucial evidence and used unreliable witness testimony and suggestive identification tactics. Kidd’s conviction was overturned, and he was exonerated after 23 years in prison
Thomas Goldstein spent 24 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. In 1979, Thomas Goldstein, a former Marine and engineering student, was wrongfully convicted of murder based on a shaky eyewitness ID and a fabricated jailhouse confession. No physical evidence linked him to the crime.
In 2002, a federal court overturned Goldstein’s conviction due to prosecutorial misconduct. He was finally released in 2004, after 24 years of wrongful imprisonment.
Andrew Wilson spent 32 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. In 1984, Andrew Wilson was wrongfully convicted of murder and robbery, based almost entirely on unreliable and coerced eyewitness testimony.
In 2017, thanks to the Loyola Project for the Innocent, Wilson’s conviction was vacated after new evidence showed serious misconduct and suppressed facts. After 32 years behind bars, he was finally freed.
Our mission is to meet the immediate needs of exonerees by helping to heal the debilitating spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical effects of being wrongfully incarcerated and to affect policy change for restoration and the righting of wrongs.
While we are committed to supporting exonerees, we do not handle legal matters or conduct investigations. If you need legal or investigative assistance, we encourage you to reach out to local organizations in your area that specialize in these services.
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