Tennessee Innocence Project (www.tninnocence.org)

TIP Client Eric Wright Released from Prison — Tennessee Innocence Project 10/2/2025   Eric Wright was released yesterday from prison after serving nearly 36 years for a crime he didn’t commit. Wright was arrested in October 1989 for the robbery and shooting of a con...

7/7- We celebrate Eric’s freedom and the resilience he showed through decades of wrongful imprisonment. And we continue our fight for those still behind bars. Every story like Eric’s underscores why TIP’s work matters. 💙 www.tninnocence.org/newsreleases...

6/7- Eric’s release coincides with International Wrongful Conviction Day, a day to honor the wrongfully convicted worldwide and raise awareness about the causes and consequences of these injustices.

5/7- Today, Eric is reunited with his family after nearly four decades apart. This is a moment of freedom he fought tirelessly for, and one that reminds us of the human cost of wrongful convictions.

4/7- Eric Wright never gave up hope, as his attorney, TIP Legal Director Jessica Van Dyke, emphasizes: “Eric is a man of faith, and he did not give up that hope that one day the truth of his innocence would be heard. I am incredibly excited to see what Eric does next with his freedom.”

3/7- For decades, Eric maintained his innocence. In 2024, TIP petitioned for fingerprint testing on evidence from the crime scene. The results identified one of the actual perpetrators—someone with no connection to Eric.

2/7 - Eric was arrested in 1989 for a Memphis robbery and assault with intent to murder. Convicted in 1990, his case relied solely on a single, flawed eyewitness ID. No physical evidence linked him to the crime.

A picture of Eric Wright, a TIP client who was freed yesterday after spending 36 years behind bars wrongfully incarcerated.

🎉 BREAKING on #WrongfulConvictionDay! TIP client Eric Wright is FREE after nearly 36 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. His release is a moment of celebration—and a reminder of why we fight for justice. 🧵

Tech Won’t Fix Eyewitness Identification - Will Collins - Inquest Eyewitness identification is a deeply flawed practice. Adding facial recognition technology, with its veneer of objectivity, only worsens the crisis of mass incarceration.

An important piece on how technology can create, not erase, harm in the criminal legal system.

inquest.org/tech-wont-fi...

For #WorldGratitudeDay, we’re sharing reflections from our clients as they work to rebuild their lives after wrongful conviction.

Photo of Josh Horner, smiling on the steps of the court house. His wife Kelli is on his right and attorney Steve Wax is on his left

🧵Today, we celebrate seven years of freedom for our former client, Josh Horner.

Josh was wrongfully convicted of sexually abusing a child in April 2017 and sentenced to fifty years in prison, effectively a life sentence for the then 41-year-old.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Surprise Exoneree Robert DuBoise With Custom Cleats - Innocence Project

Robert DuBoise spent 37 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Since his exoneration, Robert developed a bond with his hometown team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. innocenceproject.org/news/tampa-b...

6/6- Microscopic hair comparison may be history, but its impact lives on in the lives it upended. ⚖️

DNA now guides justice, but these lessons remind us why rigorous science and the investigative efforts of the Tennessee Innocence Project matters.

#ForensicScience #TNInnocence

5/6- As a result, DNA evidence has become the gold standard in forensic science, rendering techniques like microscopic hair comparison obsolete and unreliable for convicting suspects.

4/6- The use of flawed hair comparison led to numerous wrongful convictions, including the case of Santae Tribble, who spent 28 years wrongfully imprisoned before DNA evidence proved his innocence.

3/6- Hair comparison was never a foolproof method. Experts often claimed that hair samples "matched" without the use of conclusive scientific data, leading to wrongful convictions.

2/6- Microscopic hair analysis was based on subjective visual comparisons, lacking scientific accuracy and reproducibility. The FBI’s own review found that in 96% of cases, forensic experts gave erroneous testimony based on this method.

1/6- Microscopic hair comparison once convicted the innocent. Now, DNA is the gold standard. 🧬 Learn how flawed science impacts the wrongfully convicted, including those right here in Tennessee 👇

6/6 - Organizations nationwide work to bridge this gap, ensuring that scientific truth isn't reserved for those who can afford it. Justice should be based on evidence, not economics. #ScienceOfJustice #WrongfulConvictions #ForensicScience

5/6 - This creates a troubling reality: access to justice depends partly on access to expensive scientific testing. Innocence alone isn't enough—you need resources to prove it.

4/6 - For most wrongfully incarcerated people, these costs are prohibitive. The very science that could prove their innocence becomes inaccessible due to financial barriers.

3/6 - Forensic expert witnesses cost $1,000-$5,000 per day to explain complex scientific evidence to courts. Without expert testimony, even conclusive DNA results can be misunderstood.

2/6 - Testing costs vary based on complexity: multiple evidence pieces, specialized methods, degraded samples. Each analysis requires careful laboratory work and expert interpretation.

1/6 - DNA testing can prove innocence, but costs $5,000-$50,000 per case. For the wrongfully convicted, this creates a barrier between them and scientific proof of their innocence. 👇

Top 5 Moments from Coldplay's Show in Nashville Chris Martin lent his stage, and fans lent their voices, to the Innocence Project.

Last month, Coldplay frontman and Innocence Project Ambassador Chris Martin invited us to join the band's concert in Nashville. Take a look at our top 5 moments from the show: innocenceproject.org/news/top-5-m...

Earl and Rachel are standing in front of an outdoor cafe. They're embracing and smiling at the camera.

Congratulations to our client, Earl Bain – celebrating five years since his Freedom Day!

Five years ago, Oregon Governor Kate Brown did something that almost never happens here – or anywhere: she granted Earl a pardon on the grounds of innocence.

Innocence Project’s Exoneree Advisory Council Summer Reading List Members of our Exoneree Advisory Council share the books, music, and stories that have helped them heal, reflect, and grow.

Calvin Duncan spent nearly 30 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. His new memoir The Jailhouse Lawyer inspired fellow exonerees to share the books, music, and shows that shaped their healing. Read more about Calvin's story and their picks: innocenceproject.org/news/what-th...

(7/7) These numbers show the urgency of reform, but they also represent hope. With your support, we can continue to fight for those whose voices have been silenced. #justiceforthewrongfullyconvicted

(6/7) And yet, the average time an innocent person spends behind bars before exoneration in the United States is 15 years, with many more spending decades in prison for crimes they did not commit.

(5/7) It is estimated that at least 1-4% of all people incarcerated in the United States are innocent, meaning tens of thousands of innocent people are behind bars.

(4/7) 72% of wrongful convictions involving DNA evidence include eyewitness misidentification. 25% involve false confessions, often from young or vulnerable individuals.