Kristine Bunch

On March 21, 2012, Kristine Bunch had her conviction reversed in Indiana after wrongly serving more than 17 years for a 1995 fire that claimed her three-year-old son’s life.

Ms. Bunch was convicted in 1996 largely based on unreliable arson evidence. During her time in prison, she earned her undergraduate degrees in English and anthropology from Ball State University. In 2012, the Court of Appeals of Indiana reversed her conviction, ruling that she was entitled to a new trial due to evolving fire science and previously undisclosed evidence that contradicted a forensic analyst’s testimony at her trial.

Today, Ms. Bunch advocates for exonerees and co-runs a nonprofit organization called Justice4JustUs, which connects exonerated individuals to social and medical services to help them rebuild their lives.