Brian Beals was a senior at Southern Illinois University and college football player in 1988 when, on a visit home, he was wrongfully accused of shooting and killing a child. Decades later, newly discovered evidence, including testimony from five witnesses and enhancement of police photographs of bullet holes in Brian’s car, helped prove his innocence.

Adolfo Frias returned home in January 2025 after 33 years of wrongful imprisonment. After a family member was violently murdered in 1993, he fell victim to the notorious Chicago Det. Reynaldo Guevara, who interrogated and beat him for 30 hours and threatened his family. Desperate to protect them, Adolfo signed a “confession” written in English, though he could read only Spanish.

In 1995, 20-year-old Angel Gonzalez was falsely accused of a violent kidnapping and sexual assault. No physical evidence ever tied him to the crime and he had four alibi witnesses who attested to his innocence. After hours of interrogation, Angel signed a “confession” written by police in English, though he read and spoke only Spanish. Angel endured 21 years in prison until DNA testing conclusively proved his innocence.

In 1991, 16-year-old Jerry Herrington was a talented high school football player when he was wrongfully convicted of a murder he knew nothing about. Chicago police physically and psychologically abused him and lied that he confessed. He was released in 2020, after 29 years of wrongful imprisonment and fully exonerated in 2025, 34 years after he was convicted.

Jennifer McMullan was wrongfully accused of being a getaway driver after a man was killed following an attempt to rob his restaurant. During 15 hours of interrogation, police intimidated and coerced her into falsely confessing. She was convicted under the “theory of accountability” – in which a person can be found guilty of acts committed by others – and spent 19 years in prison as an innocent woman.

Marilyn Mulero was sentenced to death after being framed by corrupt Chicago Detective Reynaldo Guevara for a murder she did not commit. After fighting for almost three decades to bring light to the widespread misconduct of this detective, Marilyn was exonerated in 2022 after 28 years in prison, including five years on death row.

Herman Williams was a decorated member of the U.S Navy based at the Naval Station Great Lakes when was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life without parole for the 1993 murder of his ex-wife, Penny. Herman was wrongfully imprisoned nearly 30 years until a judge overturned his conviction based on new evidence, which included advanced DNA testing on key biological evidence that excluded him.