Charles Irvin Fain was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder, rape, and kidnapping of a young girl. The crime occurred in Nampa, Idaho, in 1982. Fain has always maintained his innocence and DNA testing in 2001 revealed the truth of his claim.

The victim had been abducted while walking to school. Her body was discovered days later near a river. Police began questioning Fain, who had recently moved into the area. Along with dozens of others, Fain was asked to provide hair samples for comparison to the hairs found on the victim. After performing microscopic hair comparison, the FBI determined that the suspect hairs were similar to Fain's. At trial, the prosecution relied on the testimony of two jailhouse snitches who had been in a cell with Fain. They claimed that Fain had told them of his involvement in the crime and provided graphic details.

Mitochondrial DNA testing revealed that the hairs - pubic hairs found on the victim's socks and underwear - were not Fain's. Based on this new evidence, a judge ordered his release in August 2001. The prosecution decided not to try him again. Fain had served nearly 18 years on death row for a murder and rape he didn't commit.