Search About Newsletters Donate
Donate today. Double your impact.

Through December 31, Marshall Project board member Abby Pucker is matching all donations, dollar for dollar, up to $75,000. Double your donation and receive a special thank-you gift by making your gift today.

Commentary

Were You or a Loved One the Victim of a Crime? Was the Perpetrator Later Exonerated?

If so, we want to hear from you.

With advancements in DNA technology and growing awareness of faulty eyewitness testimony and unreliable forensics, exonerations have been on the rise since 1989. In 2014 alone, the National Registry of Exonerations recorded 125 exonerations nationwide, and non-DNA exonerations rose to an all-time high of 103. But even after we learn that someone has been wrongfully imprisoned for years, we rarely hear from one important perspective: the victim of the crime.

For many victims, the revelation that the wrong person was sent to prison is devastating. “The day I learned of the exoneration was worse than the day I was assaulted,” Penny Beerntsen told The Marshall Project earlier this year. Beerntsen had identified Steven Avery — the subject of the Netflix documentary, “Making a Murderer” — as her rapist. He was exonerated after spending 18 years in prison.

To better understand the impact of exonerations on victims, we're reaching out to people who can speak directly and openly about their experiences. To do that, we need your help.

If you or a loved one was the victim of a crime in which the perpetrator was exonerated, please fill out the brief form below. One of our reporters will follow up.

Please note that we deal with sensitive criminal justice issues every day and promise to approach this subject with accuracy and fairness. We won’t use any of your information without contacting you first.

If you have any questions, email me at bhickman@themarshallproject.org.

    This is a required question
    This is a required question
    This is a required question
    This is a required question
    This is a required question
    This is a required question
    This is a required question
    This is a required question
    This is a required question

This is not a paywall.

We’ll never put our work behind a paywall, and we’ll never put a limit on the number of articles you can read. Our ability to take on big, groundbreaking investigations — the kind that can lead to real impact — doesn’t depend on advertisers or corporate owners. It depends on people like you. Our independence is our strength, and your donation makes us stronger.

When you donate by December 31, your donation will be matched, dollar for dollar, by Marshall Project board member Abby Pucker. As a special thank-you gift, we'll also send you one of our exclusive Marshall Project tote bags.

Donate