CINCINNATI — More than 40 former Ohio prisoners are now out of prison after they were wrongfully convicted.

The Ohio Innocence Project helped to get them exonerated over the past 20 years.

What You Need To Know

  • Since the Ohio Innocence Project started 20 years ago, their work led to the release of 42 former prisoners who were wrongfully convicted 

  • Cleveland native Ray Towler served almost 30 years in prison before DNA proved his innocence 

  • Towler used money from a multi-million dollar lawsuit to help new exonerees and joined a band of other exonerees rebuilding their life 

For Ray Towler, music is his outlet. He uses it to express life’s struggles after he was sentenced to a life behind bars.

“It wasn't like I lost hope, I just knew, I just got railroaded,” said Towler. 

He was convicted of a 1981 kidnapping, assault and rape of a minor. He served almost 30 years in prison for the crimes that he says he always knew he didn’t commit.

“You holler for help. That’s what I did. I didn’t just sit and wait for somebody to do it for me, you know, I asked plenty of people, you know, what do I do? You know, nobody knew, but you got to raise up and do what you can. Best thing I could do is just write letters,” said Towler. 

His letters went from Cleveland to Mark Godsey’s desk. Godsey is a former prosecutor turned law professor at the University of Cincinnati.

“Once you've participated in freeing somebody who's innocent and correcting that injustice, it's hard to walk away from the remaining screams for help,” said Godsey.

Godsey started the Ohio Innocence Project and for the past 20 years, he and a team of law students proved the innocence of those in prison for crimes they didn’t do. So far, they’ve found new evidence that helped more than 40 Ohio prisoners get exonerated.

“It's still there's a lot of resistance and people don't want to admit mistakes, but there's a general awareness that this does happen," said Godsey.

In Towler’s case, DNA evidence proved his innocence. He was released in 2010 and later awarded 2.5 million from the state, and another 4.7 million in a federal lawsuit.

“I feel superblessed that things worked out the way they did,” said Towler. 

For the last 13 years, since he’s been out, he’s been rebuilding his life and the life of others. He used the money to help house new exonerees in Cleveland and then joined other past exonerees who banded together to create the “Exoneree Band” and make music about their new lives.

“Even though it was like a dark cloud hanging over my head, I still kind of knew and had the vocals to kind of find peace,” said Towler.

The Ohio Innocence Project is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Towler is also continuing in the band and helping new exonerees in an effort known as the X-Freedom Studio.