A Long-Awaited Return Home for a Making an Exoneree Participant

After spending nearly 28 years in a Louisiana prison for a crime he did not commit, John Kinsel is finally free.

In the photo above, Kinsel is pictured with two former Making an Exoneree (MAE) students (Justin Cassera and Jack Healy) who remained steadfast in their efforts to help him advocate for justice. 

“Working on John’s case through MAE was the most fulfilling experience I had at Georgetown. Being there when he walked out felt like a once in a lifetime moment and I will never forget it. I’m honored to have played a small part in the fight that led to his release and am incredibly excited for John to get to experience life outside of prison,” said Cassera. “Finally, I want to say how grateful I am for my two teammates, Jack and Claire. Words can’t express how dedicated they both were to John’s cause. They were (and still are) deeply committed and brilliant advocates.” 

In 2023, students from Georgetown University and the University of California, Santa Cruz created a documentary, as part of the Making an Exoneree program, that exposed the falsehoods at the heart of Kinsel’s conviction. 

For the past 19 years, Kinsel’s alleged victim, Alyssa Medlin, has publicly stated that she fabricated her testimony as a child. Since then, she has consistently fought to clear Kinsel’s name, a rare and powerful reversal that underscores the weight of false testimony in wrongful conviction cases. 

The unfortunate reality is that Kinsel’s case is far from unique. Louisiana has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country and has faced repeated criticism for wrongful convictions rooted in unreliable evidence and systemic inequities.

The collaboration between students, advocates, and Kinsel’s support network played a crucial role in achieving this long-awaited outcome. By documenting his case and raising public awareness, Making an Exoneree students helped bring renewed attention to the injustices he faced. 

“They dug into the case and found things that nobody else wanted to. They went above and beyond what anyone has done before,” said Kinsel. “I didn’t think there were people still in the world that cared like they do.”  

Now free, Kinsel begins the difficult process of rebuilding his life after more than two decades of wrongful imprisonment. While the years he lost cannot be restored, he is looking forward to reconnecting with loved ones and enjoying the everyday moments that were once out of reach.

Kinsel’s return home marks the 13th release that MAE students have contributed to since the creation of the course at Georgetown University.