Monday Cute: Man Exonerated After 38 Years Reunited with Prison Dog He Raised
Malcolm Alexander was falsely imprisoned for a rape he did not commit for almost 40 years. On Jan. 30 of this year, he was absolved of the crime thanks to DNA evidence and finally walked free from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, a maximum security prison farm. He is now 58 years old.
However, he did not leave alone. During his time in prison, he raised a puppy named Innocent, nicknamed Inn. Inn’s mother belonged to one of Alexander’s friends and when Inn was born she was considered the “runt” of the litter. Seeing that she needed some extra love, Alexander decided to adopt her.
In some prisons, there are programs where inmates raise and train dogs, some of which are sent to be service dogs for injured vets. Inn and her mother weren’t part of a formal program and were pets and companions, which some inmates are permitted to keep as a privilege for good behavior.
Alexander remembers telling Inn “one day we’ll be out of here. Just be patient.” Before their release, Inn lived at Alexander’s work sites the metal shop and woodshop where he fed her there and looked after her.
Now they are both free and while Alexander will never be compensated for the years he spent behind bars. Having Inn with him in prison brought love back into his life, that sustained him during the time the Innocence Project worked on his case. Now, he is focused on making a life for him and Inn together.
“Oh, she’s beautiful. She’s beautiful,” Alexander said of the dog. “She really enjoys her freedom.”
(via Today, image: Screengrab)
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