John,

In 1982, Kenneth Hovland’s life changed forever when he was wrongfully convicted of murder in Snohomish County, Washington. At the age of 23, with two young children, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“From that time on, I started focusing on bettering myself, and not becoming what corrections wanted me to be,” said Kenneth. So he started enrolling himself in as many programs as he could in prison. To stay positive, he was constantly trying to learn new things — which is how he discovered his passion for jewelry-making.

Kenneth took to the process quickly, saying that jewelry-making “[took] away from the hardness that prison created” and that it helped him see the beauty in life.

Take a moment to read more about Kenneth’s story and see one of the pieces he’s created and then, if you’d like to help Kenneth continue his healing journey and pursue his dream of traveling the United States, make a donation to his personal fundraiser.

Kenneth ended up spending 40 years wrongly incarcerated based on the use of flawed forensic methods — namely, microscopic hair comparison, fiber evidence, and bite mark evidence, which have led to the wrongful convictions of numerous innocent individuals. 

With the support of the Washington Innocence Project, his case gained momentum as they presented prosecutors with compelling evidence that discredited these unreliable techniques. 

Eventually, Kenneth made the difficult decision to enter an Alford plea — a legal mechanism that allows defendants to maintain their innocence while acknowledging that the prosecution has sufficient evidence to convict them. This plea resulted in his immediate release from prison on Oct. 6, 2021.

After four decades behind bars, Kenneth is now pursuing his passion for jewelry-making while embarking on a journey across the United States. “What kept me going was my dream of eventually doing my jewelry on the road traveling,” he said. “I focused on learning business and learning my jewelry, and all that. And I knew, eventually I would get out. But it kept me moving, kept me focused on the positive that was going to come from it.”

Please, read more about Kenneth, his case, and his plans for the future, and then help support his dream of traveling the United States by making a donation to his fundraiser right now.

Thank you for your support,

— The Innocence Project Team