Johnnie Lindsey, Christopher Scott, and Steven Phillips. Photo by Sarah Lim
Three men sit around a table at Hickory House BBQ in Dallas, overdressed for brisket in their caps and fedoras, knit shirts and gold watches. It’s a welcome change from prison white. The three men—Chris Scott, Johnnie Lindsey and Steven Phillips—spent decades behind bars for crimes they didn’t commit, more than 60 years combined. They were eventually released because of the tireless advocacy of law students and pro bono lawyers, and they’re determined to repay the favor. They’ve created an exoneree detective agency, perhaps the first of its kind, and they’re dedicated to investigating innocence cases, even the ones that seem hopeless at first glance. A stack of letters sits on the table, all from prisoners who say they are innocent and are desperate for someone to listen to their story. The exonerees know that feeling better than anyone. The hard part is choosing which cases to dig into.
Read the story in the Texas Observer.
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