Philadelphia, PA: In 1987, Dawud “David” Turner was wrongly convicted and given a life sentence for a crime that he has always maintained he did not commit, the shooting death of Mario Martinez. No physical evidence ever implicated Mr. Turner. His arrest hinged solely on the identification of one eyewitness as well as the investigation…
Read MoreBREAKING: Christopher Ellis Exonerated After 11 Years
CHICAGO IL: In 2014, Christopher Ellis was wrongly convicted of aggravated battery against the police based on the testimony of two Chicago police officers who have engaged in a pattern of targeting Black people for harassment, physical abuse, and false arrest. After Mr. Ellis attempted to assert his rights, the two officers yanked him out…
Read MoreBREAKING: Danny Davis Exonerated After Nearly 33 Years
CAIRO, IL: In 1992, Danny Davis was just 20 years old when he was wrongly arrested for a robbery and murder he did not commit. He and his then-17-year-old brother Isaac were coerced into giving false confessions. Danny was physically abused and threatened with the death penalty. Ultimately, he and his brother confessed and soon…
Read MoreBREAKING: Frankfort Man John Brandon Lamotte Exonerated After Nearly 9 Years Wrongly Imprisoned
October 16, 2025 FRANKFORT, KY: John “Brandon” Lamotte was wrongfully convicted in 2019 for the alleged stabbing of his neighbor and friend Kate Sanders. Yesterday, after eight years of fighting to prove his innocence, the Kentucky Supreme Court upheld the Court of Appeals’ 2023 reversal of his conviction. “Today has been a long time coming…
Read MoreJeffrey Dawkins Celebrates One Year Home After 19 Years Wrongfully Incarcerated
On July 19, 2024, Jeffrey “Jeff” Dawkins walked out of the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution at Phoenix a free man after spending over 19 years incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. In 2005, Jeff was wrongly convicted for first-degree murder and related charges for the shooting of Brian Greene at a nightclub in…
Read MoreBenard McKinley Granted Parole, Headed to Northwestern Law School
Last week, our client Benard McKinley was granted parole after spending 22 years in prison. While incarcerated, Benard devoted himself to studying and growing. He became certified as a paralegal and earned his GED in 2011. He was selected as one of 40 students to take part in Northwestern’s Prison Education Program, a groundbreaking program…
Read MoreStephanie Spurgeon
After 8.5 years in prison for a wrongful manslaughter/abusive head trauma conviction, Exoneration Project client Stephanie Spurgeon shares her story with Jason Flom on the Wrongful Conviction podcast. We co-counseled with the Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences & the Innocence Project of Florida.
Read MoreJimmy Soto
We are so proud of our client, Jimmy Soto, whose words were used in a song featured by White Snake Projects. Jimmy’s poem is part of the “Sing Out Strong: Incarcerated Voices” series and includes imagery from his experience incarcerated. “Abolish 13th Amendment – don’t try to cage us.Free us from incarceration,Give us true liberation,Like…
Read MoreBen Baker
In 2016, Ben Baker overturned his 2006 conviction for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver after the Exoneration Project obtained exculpatory FBI documents through the Freedom of Information Act. The materials prove that Bakers’ allegations against a corrupt Chicago Police tactical team were corroborated by investigative materials that were available at the …
Read MoreJames Kuppelberg
James Kluppelberg was wrongfully convicted of a possible arson and related six-person homicide which occurred in the early morning hours of March 1984 on the south side of Chicago. Nearly four years passed until Kluppelberg was interrogated and arrested for setting the fire. Detectives severely beat Kluppelberg, causing injuries so serious that the court concluded …
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