Ohio Innocence Project

06/23/2026

OIP co-founder and director Mark Godsey is among a group of international leaders of the movement gathered this week in the Netherlands to continue to advance the rights that should be available to all those everywhere. The ongoing group is known as the Wrongful Conviction International Law Task Force.

Represented in the group are advocates from 17 different nations and every inhabited continent. OIP and UC's Donald P. Klekamp College of Law have been committed to these efforts for the last several years. Says Mark of the gathering: "I'm not sure I've ever been in such esteemed company before, all in one room." Mark can be seen in the group photo at far left in the white shirt next to the brick pillar.

You can read more about how students from international students from UC's LLM program at the Donald P. Klekamp College of Law made supporting this work part of their educational experience this year in this story: https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2026/04/university-of-cincinnati-klekamp-law-llm-program-and-oip-leads-to-un.html

06/23/2026

"When the state is granted the ultimate power to end a human life, the system executing that power must be flawless and completely transparent. Instead, the American legal system operates under rules where police and prosecutorial misconduct can—and does—flourish with virtually no consequences for the bad actors."

That is a snippet of what The Cato Institute, the leading voice among Libertarians in America, had to say in this well thought-out op-ed on how to assess the penalty in light of last week's announcement by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine that he would like to see it come to an end in our state. OIP continues to cooperate with a coalition of other organizations advocating for the Ohio legislature to take action on a bill that has been introduced that would end the death penalty in Ohio.

A report earlier this year by Ohioans to Stop Executions pointed out that 12 individuals have been exonerated in Ohio, and just as the Cato op-ed suggests, misconduct by police or prosecutors was a factor in 11 of the 12 death row exonerations.

If we lived in a world where police and prosecutors were held personally accountable for misconduct, I’d have no issue with the death penalty remaining on the table for violent offenders. But that isn’t the system we have.

06/22/2026

In the wake of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's statement last week about now opposing the in the state, the Ravenna Record-Courier wrote about the two individuals from their county on death row. OIP client Tyrone Noling, whose fight we continue to be a part of, is one of them. Tyrone has been on death row for 30 years now and OIP continues to firmly believe in his innocence, with evidence that could clear his name remaining untested.

You can learn more about Tyrone's story, including accessing a link to sign a petition asking Gov. DeWine to grant him an executive pardon, at tyronenoling.com.

https://ow.ly/AvGj50Zftqg

Tyrone Noling and James Trimble are on death row, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's plea to end the death penalty could help them.

06/22/2026

Please join us in sending along best wishes to OIP client Chris Miller on the occasion today of the eighth anniversary of his Freedom Day!

Chris was freed on this date in 2018 after being of a crime that ultimately proved he did not commit. He has brought a tremendous spark of energy to our OIP community in the years since. In the images here, Chris shares his story with media in the largest photo at our Bearcat Dash & Bash fundraiser in 2019. The photo at upper right is Chris at the hearing that set him free, with OIP attorneys Brian Howe and Mallorie Thomas accompanying him. At bottom right is another photo from the 2019 event, with Chris and fellow OIP client Robert McClendon.

From all of the OIP community, we hope you enjoy this special day, Chris!

06/21/2026

As part of observances, an who lost 43 years to shared his story with an audience in St. Joseph, Mo. Kevin Strickland said, "They tried to kill me, but I won't go down." It was the parent of a law student familiar with Strickland's story who arranged for the invitation to come speak.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- During St. Joseph Juneteenth celebrations, Kevin Strickland was invited to share his fight for justice after being wrongfully convicted for a crime back in 1979.

06/20/2026

is a state where the reality of is more widely acknowledged than a number of other states. More progress could be made with a new bill that has been introduced in both houses of the legislature which would update sampling opportunities for the first time since 2001.

A Michigan House bill has been introduced in the legislature that would expand DNA testing post-guilty convictions.

06/19/2026

Great news to end the week, with the of Marquez Powell in after 21 years of being locked up. New evidence cleared him in involvement in a murder of his best friend. His release was secured through efforts by the Georgia Innocence Project, in coordination with the Fulton County District Attorney's Conviction Integrity Unit.

Marquez Powell was exonerated Thursday after spending nearly 21 years behind bars for a murder he said he did not commit.

06/19/2026

An man who spent 43 years in prison appears to be on the cusp of having his 1975 r**e conviction thrown out. Expert testimony pointed to Ervin Harris having been . Numerous problems were pointed out with testimony in his original trial. The prosecution has indicated they do not oppose the motion to dismiss the conviction. The Innocence Project has been working on his behalf.

Ervin Harris, with support from the Innocence Project, seeks to vacate his 1975 r**e conviction, citing unreliable eyewitness identification and expert testimony.

06/18/2026

Legislative changes are under discussion in that could address those who have been unjustly in ways not addressed by current law, such as juvenile facilities or county jails, and give them new avenues for relief.

House Bill 501, introduced by Representatives Joshua Williams (R-Sylvania Twp.) and Elgin Rogers (D-Toledo), updates Ohio’s wrongful-imprisonment compensation law.

06/18/2026

A man who spent 28 years in prison before having his conviction overturned in 2024 was acquitted by a jury Wednesday after the prosecution elected to retry him in a 1995 murder case. Elvio Marrero is a long-time Boston College Innocence Program client.

Former Greenfield man acquitted of murder charges after retrial. Elvio J. Marrero found not guilty, two years after release from prison.