Surviving a Texas Prison as an Innocent Man | Greg Kelley

Greg Kelley was a Texas high school football standout whose life was wrecked at 18 when he was wrongfully convicted of super aggravated sexual assault of a child and sentenced to 25 years with no possibility of parole. After years in some of the hardest Texas state prisons, a flawed investigation was exposed, his case was reopened by the Texas Rangers, and in 2019 he was fully exonerated by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Today he’s a husband, former Division I safety at Eastern Michigan, ultra runner, and founder of the Vindication Foundation, helping others fighting wrongful convictions. Subscribe to the podcast on other platforms: http://lnk.to/the-other-side-of-hard Greg Kelley Website: https://thevindicationfoundation.com Instagram: @grkelley2 Thank you to our sponsors Ketone-IQ: https://ketone.com/rideout Rho Nutrition: rhonutrition.com code RIDEOUT Athletic Nicotine: https://athleticnicotine.com/rideout Chapters (00:00) Introduction and Wrongful Conviction (00:31) First Days in Prison (02:23) Protective Custody and General Population (05:06) Surviving Prison Life (27:07) Faith and Hope in Adversity (34:16) Family and Upbringing (37:58) Reflecting on Childhood and Family Influence (38:49) Puberty and Athletic Development (39:51) High School Romance and Focus on Football (40:46) Family Health Crises (42:13) Living with a Friend's Family (44:25) Jonathan's Troubling Behavior (49:39) Accusations and Legal Troubles Begin (01:03:15) Arrest and Initial Reactions (01:13:19) Facing the In-Laws: A Heartfelt Confession (01:15:11) The Shocking Accusation: A Life Turned Upside Down (01:16:54) Support and Optimism Amidst Chaos (01:18:20) The Alternative School Experience (01:20:05) The Second Arrest: More Charges Surface (01:35:58) The Plea Deal Dilemma (01:41:21) The Trial: Fighting for Innocence (01:52:39) Drifting Apart and Hidden Infatuations (01:53:00) Conviction and Betrayal (01:55:12) Writing Through Trauma (01:58:49) The Justice System's Failures (01:58:56) The Vindication Foundation (01:59:51) The Appeal Process Begins (02:09:57) The Role of Evidence in Proving Innocence (02:11:22) Reinvestigation and New Evidence (02:19:25) The Hearing and Hope for Freedom (02:25:41) A Glimmer of Hope (02:31:53) Breaking Free from Institutionalization (02:32:48) The Moment of Release (02:34:22) Emotional Reunion and Reflections (02:36:16) Life After Exoneration (02:38:45) Pursuing New Dreams (02:43:54) Legal Battles and Vindication (02:47:26) A New Beginning (02:57:39) Final Thoughts and Future Plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices