Exoneree Advisory Council

Angel Gonzalez was exonerated in 2015 after serving over 20 years in prison for a rape that he did not commit. In 1994, Mr. Gonzalez was misidentified by a rape victim as her assailant. After he was arrested, he was then misled by police into signing a false confession. Although Mr. Gonzalez maintained his innocence from the beginning, it wasn’t until 2013 that he was finally able to prove his innocence through DNA testing. Mr. Gonzalez joined the Exoneree Advisory Council in 2019.

Johnny Hincapie was exonerated in 2015 after serving 25 years in prison. He was wrongly convicted in 1991 of a murder he did not commit based on a false confession, official misconduct, and an inadequate defense. While in prison, Mr. Hincapie received a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Mercy College, graduating with honors. He went on to receive a master’s in professional studies from the New York Theological Seminary. During the last 15 years of his incarceration, Mr. Hincapie focused on studying, teaching, and performing in theater. Today, Mr. Hincapie engages in activities related to criminal justice reform and social justice.

In December 2001, Marvin Lamont Anderson became the 99th person in the United States to be exonerated due to post-conviction DNA testing. Mr. Anderson went to prison for robbery, forcible sodomy, abduction, and two counts of rape that he did not commit in 1983. He was released after 15 years and faced lifetime parole. He became a client of the Innocence Project in 1994, and DNA testing results in 2001 excluded him as the perpetrator. On August 21, 2002, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner granted Mr. Anderson, who had spent a total of 19 years in prison and on parole while fighting for his innocence, a full pardon. Mr. Anderson now lives and works in Hanover, VA, where he is district chief of the Hanover Courthouse Volunteer Fire Company.

Michelle Murphy was exonerated in 2014 after wrongly serving 20 years for the murder of her infant son.  She was wrongly convicted of the crime in 1995 based largely on a false confession. She was sentenced to life in prison without parole. DNA testing of the crime scene evidence pointed to an unknown male as the real perpetrator. While representing Ms. Murphy, lawyers also uncovered other evidence pointing to her innocence that was known to the prosecution at the time of trial but never disclosed to the defense. Ms. Murphy currently works at the Tulsa County Public Defender’s office. Ms. Murphy joined the Exoneree Advisory Council in 2019.

Stefon Morant was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to 70 years for a double homicide that he did not commit in New Haven, Connecticut. He was released from prison in 2015, after serving more than 21 years, and was fully exonerated in 2021. Ever since his release, Mr. Morant has been active with the Innocence Project and the Connecticut Innocence Project, serving as a mentor to numerous exonerees.  Since his release, Mr. Morant married his childhood sweetheart and now works for the City of New Haven. Although it is the city that harmed him, Mr. Morant has chosen to help. Mr. Morant has also worked in a halfway house counseling returning inmates and as a recovery coach assisting mental patients transition from inpatient care to everyday life.

Termaine Hicks was exonerated in 2020 after serving 19 years in prison for a rape that he did not commit. He was wrongly convicted based on egregious police misconduct. During his wrongful imprisonment, Mr. Hicks focused on his mental and spiritual health and used creative writing as an emotional outlet. Mr. Hicks is the founder of StepUp4Youth, an organization that aims to empower children and young adults to use their voices to prevent bullying and gun violence.

On December 25, 2017, Tyra Patterson walked out of prison after serving 23 years for crimes she did not commit. While incarcerated, Ms. Patterson discovered and fostered her artistry, first as a mechanism of survival and second as a means of expression.  Today, she travels all over the country as an artist and an activist, speaking at law schools, colleges, prisons, conferences, and high schools, leveraging her story and art to educate people on social justice, especially on mass incarceration. She currently lives in Cincinnati and works at the Ohio Justice & Policy Center, where she leads community outreach efforts. Ms. Patterson was awarded an honorary Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Art Academy of Cincinnati. She is a member of the board of directors for Just Media, ArtWorks Cincinnati, and Black Art Speaks.  She was recently appointed to the board of trustees for the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Her story has been featured by media outlets, including Rolling Stone, Essence Magazine, The Guardian, ABC News, CNN, and many others.