John,

We’ve emailed you a few times about Innocence Project and Midwest Innocence Project client Anthony Dixon’s case — but I want to tell you about Anthony Dixon, the person I’ve had the honor to work for as a paralegal on the team.

The best part of my job is getting to speak to clients every day, by phone, email, or on the occasions I get to see them in person. I started working on Anthony’s case in August 2021. At the time, he was serving his 28th year in prison in Missouri for a rape and robbery he didn’t commit.

Getting to know Anthony and witness his perseverance through this unfair legal system has truly been the highlight of my time here. Seeing how he kept hope alive over the course of so many years is remarkable. Anthony is the definition of unbreakable.

Despite everything that he’s been put through, Anthony has always been a distinctively lovely and thoughtful person — endlessly gracious, dignified, and insightful in all of our conversations. He always asks how I’m doing and never ceases to make me smile.

Post-conviction DNA testing on crime scene evidence proved that Anthony did not commit the crime, but Missouri still refused to exonerate him. Instead, he was released on parole this past December, but because he wasn’t exonerated, he won’t get the compensation he’s owed.

After nearly 30 years of wrongful incarceration, Anthony is starting over. He’s tackling this huge challenge with characteristic positivity and strength, but it’s still an incredibly difficult thing to do.

So please, will you contribute to Anthony’s personal fundraising page right now and help ensure he has the resources he needs to rebuild his life after 28 years of wrongful incarceration?

Now that he’s out, Anthony is enjoying “freedom-filled things,” like going to see plays, going to the movies (he was delighted by the recliner seats some theaters have now!), and going to work at his new job at the Midwest Innocence Project. Since he doesn’t have a car, he takes the bus everywhere. When he first got out, he said he would just ride the bus for hours, taking in everything he saw along the way.

“It’s the smallest things that you can imagine that I find amazing,” he said. “You feel so free that you are able to make these decisions.”

Anthony is also proud to have recently received a scholarship to go to school for the next four years and is very excited about getting his bachelor’s degree. But he’s most looking forward to spending time with his family in the future.

Since Missouri has refused to exonerate him, Anthony still has to register as a sex offender on parole, which means he can’t see his grandson or visit family members in other states.

Anthony has been through so much and deserves compensation — but since the State will not give it to him, we're asking this community to chip in and help him out. He had so much stolen from him during his nearly 30 years of wrongful incarceration.

Please, take a moment to help Anthony get what he rightfully deserves by making a donation to his personal fundraiser right now.

Thank you so much for your support,

Cecily Burge
Post-Conviction Litigation Paralegal
Innocence Project