Wrongful Convictions and Demands for Exonoration

Wrongful Convictions and Demands for Exoneration

“I feel like I am literally one voice away from going home.”

– Andraus McCloud

Greetings!

Today, we share the story of Andraus McCloud, a Prison Radio correspondent, currently incarcerated in the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility in Michigan. Convicted nearly 19 years ago, McCloud has maintained his innocence.

It is no secret that wrongful convictions run rampant within the United States. Since 1989, over 3100 exonerations have been recorded in the National Registry of Exonerations.

In 2007 Andraus was sentenced to 80-125 years in prison, convicted of 2nd Degree Murder, Home Invasion, and Armed Robbery. Accused of aiding an individual who has since recanted stating in fact that Andraus was not involved.

Andraus and his supporters point to these facts, among others, that suggest misconduct in his case:

The prosecutor, Jennifer McKellar, claimed that Andraus confessed to the murder without providing any verbal, taped, or written transcription of such testimony.
Tiequan Riley, the man who took a plea deal to testify that Andraus was guilty of the murder, wrote to Andraus in prison stating clearly that Andraus “had nothing to do with the murder.” (photo below)

Lead investigator David Bigelow admitted to tampering with evidence, going back to swab evidence that had been previously sealed by forensic technicians.
Two authoritative voices on forensic science (William C. Thompson, PhD, Daniel Chan, PhD) reviewed the prosecution’s DNA evidence and both concluded the undeniable need for a retest.
The public defender representing Andraus failed to object to the above misconduct, citing political ties between himself and the other attorneys on the case as a reason not to disturb the peace.

Andraus has been working tirelessly for 19 years to prove his innocence. A passionate artist, writer, and thinker he has endangered himself in prison to get his story out there and his voice heard.

“I came to prison with an 8th-9th grade education. I had to self-educate myself.”

If you are interested in supporting Andraus, learning more about him, and adding to the movement to free him, please check out the suggestions and resources below:

Read and sign his petition on change.org/FreeAndraus
Join his live streams on his Facebook page @QuoteKing
Listen to his commentaries on the Prison Radio website
Read his article, “The Stigma,” featured in the University of Michigan’s (PCAP) book, I Read the Dictionary for Fun
Read his feature in the Rolling Stone article, “Prisoners Share Tales of Solitary Confinement in Michigan”
Read the letter that he wrote for the Silenced organization

“People dont know but those commentaries were like me sending out an SOS. So to see that I reached someone means a lot to me.” – Andraus McCloud

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In Solidarity,