In 1982, I was a 26-year-old sailor stationed in Newport News, Virginia, when I was accused and wrongfully convicted of raping a woman and murdering her husband. The woman told police officers that her attacker had worn a sailor’s uniform, but other than that, I didn’t match her description at all — but that didn’t matter. Two forensic dentists testified at my trial that the bite mark on the victim’s legs matched my teeth, and even though bite mark evidence has never been scientifically validated, I was sentenced to life in prison. I was almost sentenced to death.
I had resigned myself to the fact that I was going to die in prison — but in 2014, the Innocence Project took my case and things started to change.
Two years later, after 34 years in prison, new DNA evidence definitively proved my innocence and I was finally exonerated.
Keith Harward in New York City. Photo by Alicia Maule/Innocence Project.
Though I’m out now, I don’t think I’ll ever feel fully free. I’ll carry the weight of injustice done to me until my last breath. But I’m now able to goof off, take joy in the simple things and bring some joy to those who may have lost theirs.
I can honestly say that without the Innocence Project’s work, I wouldn’t be free today — and I’m not alone. There are so many people sitting in cells across the country who are innocent and deserve justice. Thankfully, the Innocence Project is working hard for their freedom and supporting exonerees as they return to life outside of prison — something that is especially challenging during this COVID-19 crisis.
I tell people that it’s kind of funny: As a victim of Newport News and the state of Virginia, for so long all I had was plenty of time to die. Now, I don't have enough time to live! But you can bet I’m going to make the most of it.
The Innocence Project exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. www.innocenceproject.org
