Illinois Innocence Project hosts annual fundraising event in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Springfield will be holding an event that sheds light on wrongfully convicted, innocent people.

The Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) at the University of Illinois Springfield will host its annual Defenders of the Innocent fundraising event. This includes personal stories shared by exonerees James Kluppelberg, Marilyn Mulero and Brian Beals, each of whom were wrongfully convicted of crimes.

The event will take place at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on Saturday, Oct. 19. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and the program starts at 7:30 p.m.

The event is open to the media; however, the public must register to attend the event. General admission starts at $125, $50 for students.

The three exonerees have developed their stories to be presented at the event in collaboration with event emcee Dawn J. Fraser. She is a lead instructor, host with The Moth and featured speaker on the TED stage.

Fraser is also the founder and CEO of Fraser’s Edge Inc., which offers programs for thought leaders, advocates and innovators to develop their leadership skills through storytelling.

IIP will present the 2024 Defender of the Innocent Award to exoneree Kristine Bunch. She was wrongfully imprisoned for more than 17 years after being arrested and charged with setting a fire that claimed the life of her 3-year-old son.

Her conviction would later be overturned after evolving science proved the incident was an accidental electrical fire.

Since being exonerated in 2012, Bunch has been an advocate for wrongfully convicted people on a national level. She has played a large role in the rise of IIP’s Wrongful Conviction Awareness and Avoidance (WCAA) police training program.

Bunch was also one of WCAA’s first exoneree speakers and now directs the program’s Speakers Bureau.

IIP anticipates more than 20 exonerated people from Illinois and other states will be attending the event. These freed individuals will be recognized toward the end of the program.

Registration closes on Oct. 16. Visit go.uis.edu/DOI2024 to register and email Director of Development and Communication Courtney Reed at creed21@uis.edu for more information.

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