At one point in his life, Edward Chapman was a prisoner on death row waiting to be executed. But on Tuesday afternoon, he spoke to a room full of people eager to hear his story of being falsely committed of murder and sentenced to die. The event was held at 4 p.m. inside Room 364 of Brown Hall and was sponsored by the ETSU Criminal Justice Society.In the summer of 1992, two women, Betty Jean Ramseur and Tenene Yvette Conley, were found dead in Hickory, N.C., and Chapman was accused of their murder. Today we know that Chapman is not responsible for their deaths, including the fact that Conley died of a drug overdose, but at the time, Chapman was seen as an “easy target” because of his drug-filled past and history with the police, he said.

His murder trial began on Halloween of 1994. His original defense lawyers paid little attention to the case and overlooked the evidence that proved his innocence.

Despite his “pleading for help,” the sentencing phase took less than two days. Chapman was found guilty of murder for both women and sentenced to death row in Raleigh, N.C.

Chapman said he was devastated at first. His family couldn’t help him and he had no support from anyone else. Even with the amount of time he spent there, he said his cell never became a home.

“You are there to die,” Chapman said, “And they remind you.”

Chapman began reading magazines and articles to find any contacts who could potentially help him. Chapman got his GED while in prison and wrote books to keep himself focused on getting out.

“I was determined to be a survivor,” Chapman said. “And I am a survivor to this day.”

While Chapman was spending his years reaching out, Dr. Pam Laughon was contacted about his case. Laughon, who is the chair of psychology at the University of North Carolina in Asheville, also spoke at Tuesday’s event. Laughon and her students went to work on the case and found evidence that was originally overlooked, including one instance where Chapman was falsely identified.

Laughon spoke about how difficult it was meeting Chapman for the first time, considering that he had tried to get help before but never received it.

“I met this man in 2002, and at that time he was known as inmate No. 0072845,” Laughon said.

Laughon went over three key points that helped them prove Chapman’s innocence. The first was that Chapman’s defense attorney had withheld evidence showing Chapman was innocent. The second was that false evidence was presented at the original trial. The third was “ineffective assistance of counsel,” meaning that the DA was not doing his job properly.

In late 2007, Chapman was given a new trial. In April of 2008, after spending 14 years awaiting his execution, Chapman was finally released.

“When I stepped out, I felt a relief I have never felt before,” said Chapman.

His first meal he requested was a bologna and cheese sandwich, a meal his mother used to make for him when he was a child. Chapman said he took such joy in the sounds he was able to hear again, including hearing the birds the morning after he was released.

“It was the most beautiful sound I heard in ages,” Chapman said. “It was like a love song coming to me.”

Chapman and Laughon agreed that he shouldn’t return to the town he was convicted. Chapman was able to find a job through one of Laughon’s students at a hotel. Since his release, he has co-written a book and been giving speeches to tell his story wherever he can.

“Regardless of who I talk to, I always try to give something back,” Chapman said.

Despite the charges being dropped, Chapman has ran into issues with restarting his life, such as finding housing.

An official pardon would allow Chapman to receive $40,000 dollars a year for each year he spent in prison. Those interested in helping can send an e-mail requesting pardon to “clemency@nc.gov.”

Those in attendance at the event seemed impressed by Chapman’s story, but were also upset by the fact that Chapman was found guily in the first place.

“It’s sad to see injustice like that,” Blake Ailor, a 23-year-old criminal justice major, said.

Dustin Roberts, president of the Criminal Justice Society on campus, felt that having Chapman and Laughon come and speak was important for students going into criminal justice.

“It’s good to have this real experience,” said Roberts. “You can read about something in a book, but having someone come and talk about it – this is real.

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