TRAINING TO FREE MY BROTHER

As a Hollywood film of her shocking story is released, Betty Waters tells us what she went through to free her brother from prison:

‘My brother Kenny and I were best friends growing up. Although I was younger, he always looked up to me. When he was arrested for murdering his elderly neighbour, it was a total shock. He had an alibi, so we thought he would be coming home. However, although the evidence was fraudulent, he was given a life sentence. He was only 21.

‘Shortly after his first appeal failed, Kenny tried to commit suicide. I was angry with him, but he said, “I can’t spend the rest of my life in prison for something I didn’t do. I’m not going to make it.” I never doubted his innocence. He had always been a very nice guy and would never have killed this woman. We had no money for lawyers, so it was then he asked me to study law at college and become his attorney. I was unemployed; I didn’t even have a college degree, but I promised him I’d make it happen as long as he promised to stay alive.

‘After Kenny had been in prison for 16 years, I heard about the Innocence Project, an organisation that works to free innocent people using DNA testing, something that wasn’t available when he was convicted. One piece of evidence at the trial was a bloodied curtain that the perpetrator had wiped his hands on, but it was so long since his trial that finding it wasn’t easy. By this point, I didn’t trust anyone, so I asked other students from my law school to tell the police they were doing a project on the Waters’ case. Finally, a box with Kenny’s name on it was found in one of the archives.

My heart was pounding so hard as I opened it. As soon as I lifted the lid, I knew the curtain was in there. ‘18 years after his conviction, Kenny was released. I remember taking him by the hand and walking out of the courtroom.

The sense of freedom was amazing. When I heard they were making a film of the story, I was so excited. Watching the film and talking about it with the team was like being in therapy. My brother was the 83rd person to be released through DNA testing. I feel so lucky to be part of the Innocence Project.’