Michael Morton was unjustly convicted of killing his wife in 1986. Michael spent 25 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
Thanks to the relentless efforts of lawyers and people who seek the truth, Michael was finally released from prison after it was discovered that key evidence had been suppressed by the prosecution.
Michael's story is portrayed in the documentary An Unreal Dream.
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After watching the Unreal Dream on NetFlix, I was deeply shaken. Although I did not go to prison I had been on a similar path as Michael at age 20 when my wife was murdered. She left our home with an unknown person and never returned. Two months later her body was discovered. She had been raped severely beaten and strangled to death.
As her husband I immediately became a suspect as soon as she went missing. Like Michael, the police told me my actions appeared suspicious and I was not acting like a normal husband would in a situation like this. They threatened me with prison and said they knew I had something to do with her disappearance. Soon I found myself in the front page news with friends suddenly shunning me.
When she did not return home I knew in my heart something terrible had happened. I felt paralyzed with fear over what might have happened to her and at the same time being accused and threatened by the police. Two months later her body was discovered and a mutual family friend was arrested. The police bungled the evidence and did not provide the suspect with an attorney when he asked.
The suspect hired an attorney who began a public smear campaign against me and systematically suppressed key pieces of evidence. Although the police attention shifted away from me, public attention did not. The majority of the public were convinced I was the perpetrator. Living in a small town, I had to relocate and try to start a new life. I lived with PTSD for 30+ years trying to deal with the pain, and fearful of being recognized by someone from my home town.
Several years ago the suspect was re-arrested on DNA evidence. To prepare for trial I was handed a 3-hour audio tape of my police interview 30 years prior. It was taped two days after her body was discovered and I was being informed and interrogated about her death. I had to relive the pain and fear over and over. When the trial started it was like I was on trial. The defendant did not testify. His attorney went after me, portraying me as the real perpetrator. The defendant was eventually convicted and went to prison. I am now in the process of trying to rebuild my life.
Michael Morton is an inspiration to the human spirit and an example of how unjust our society can be.
As shown by the number of people recently released from prison this situation is not uncommon. Thank God for the Innocence Project and all the people dedicated to helping free the wrongly convicted.