Remembering Sam Sommers

Remembering Sam Sommers, Whose Research on Race Supported the Fight for Freedom
for Wrongfully Convicted People

Dr. Sam Sommers lent his expertise to support the wrongfully convicted

Overturning even one wrongful conviction requires an enormous effort; it takes a team and a community.  At the New England Innocence Project (NEIP), our legal efforts rely on collaborations with pro bono attorneys, investigators, forensic analysts, and social scientists, among others. This week, NEIP mourns the loss of Dr. Sam Sommers, a psychology professor and director of the Racial Diversity and Equity Lab at Tufts University, who lent his expertise to support the wrongfully convicted–including our client, Edward Wright–and bring them home to their families.  

Sam was an experimental social psychologist whose research focused on race, social perception and judgment, and the psychology of intergroup relations and racial bias. Over the course of his career, he shared his expertise on the impact of race in the criminal legal system, including exposing its staggering racial disparities. He was generous with his time and supported NEIP clients who had been misidentified by a cross-racial eyewitness identification or who were convicted based on racial stereotypes at trial or during jury deliberations.

Sam’s focus on race was essential to our work and to understanding the stories of our clients. Based on National Registry of Exonerations data, Black people are far more likely to be convicted of crimes they did not commit than white people. For example, innocent Black people are seven times more likely to be wrongfully convicted of murder than white people. And although Black people make up less than 14% of the U.S. population, they account for nearly half of all exonerations.

Sam’s most recent collaboration with NEIP involved a careful examination of the role of race in Edward Wright’s wrongful conviction out of Springfield, Massachusetts in 1985. Eddie, a Black man, was tried before an overwhelmingly white jury after the prosecutor challenged every potential Black male juror in the courtroom before the trial began. Eddie was prosecuted for the murder of a white woman, who was his friend, and the prosecutor repeatedly and gratuitously emphasized the victim’s race and used racialized language in questioning witnesses and addressing the jury. Eddie was also seated away from his attorney for the duration of the trial. In an expert report that was submitted to the court in support of Eddie’s Motion for New Trial, Dr. Sommers concluded that “the staging of the trial, including where Mr. Wright was seated, would have risked activating longstanding stereotypes of Black men and danger.” Our fight to overturn Eddie’s wrongful conviction is ongoing as we await a decision on his Motion for New Trial, and we are saddened that Sam cannot be here to see the impact of his contributions. 

Sam’s commitment to racial justice was unwavering. We are forever grateful for his invaluable assistance–in Eddie’s case and so many others. His voice, wisdom, and expertise will be sorely missed, but his legacy lives on in the families he helped reunite and the ongoing fight for freedom.

Advocacy Update: Expanding the Time to Petition for a New Trial in N.H.

We believe that if someone is innocent and in prison, they should be able to go to the Court when there is new evidence about their case. Right now, in New Hampshire, wrongfully convicted people only have three years to go back to the Court, and that leaves innocent people languishing in prison.

Earlier this month, we testified in New Hampshire in support of SB141, a bill that would expand the time for an innocent person to petition for a new trial where they've uncovered new evidence or new forensic evidence, key tools that can prove someone's innocence. You can view an excerpt from this testimony below.

"This [three-year] timeline is virtually impossible to meet in wrongful conviction cases. In 2016, the National Registry for Exonerations reported that an average exoneration took 11 years, almost three times the New Hampshire limit. Wrongful conviction work is slow for many reasons…the three-year limitation period is preventing viable claims of innocence from coming to light.

With the proposed changes to this statute, New Hampshire can bring itself in line with the rest of the country and with scientific understanding. There is no value in a wrongful conviction based on false or misleading evidence. This bill would offer a meaningful pathway to correct these wrongful convictions in New Hampshire." 
— Cynthia Mousseau, N.H. Staff Attorney, New England Innocence Project 

There are many more steps in the legislative process, but if it passes, it could significantly impact members of our community who are wrongfully incarcerated in New Hampshire.

Thomas Rosa, Jr.’s Convictions Overturned

STORY UPDATE (Feb. 13, 2025): The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office continues to push toward a fourth trial for Mr. Rosa, who has already spent 34 years in prison for a crime he did not commit and after DNA evidence led to the overturning of his wrongful conviction. While our team continues fighting for Mr. Rosa, we will alert you to opportunities to support him in court.

Suffolk DA pushing for fourth trial for Thomas Rosa, Jr. (WCVB, Jan. 4, 2024)

SEPTEMBER 7. 2023
Thomas Rosa, Jr.’s Convictions Overturned
After Being Wrongfully Incarcerated for 34 Years for a Murder he did not Commit

(SEPTEMBER 7, 2023) The New England Innocence Project and the Boston College Innocence Program announce that Suffolk Superior Court Judge Michael Ricciuti has vacated the conviction of their client, Thomas Rosa, Jr. of Chelsea, who was wrongfully incarcerated for 34 years for a murder that he did not commit.  Judge Ricciuti vacated all of Mr. Rosa’s convictions on September 6 because new DNA evidence and advances in eyewitness science directly undermined the trial evidence that the state used to convict him.

Mr. Rosa, who has always maintained his innocence, was wrongfully convicted in Suffolk County Superior Court for the 1985 murder of Gwendolyn Taylor. Mr. Rosa presented himself voluntarily to the police and was tried three times, facing one mistrial and one overturned conviction before his final conviction in 1993.

Mr. Rosa’s attorneys, Radha Natarajan of the New England Innocence Project and Charlotte Whitmore of the Boston College Innocence Program, filed the Motion for New Trial on June 29, 2020, presenting numerous arguments why his convictions should be overturned.  A decision on October 14, 2020, by Justice Gaziano, acting as the Single Justice for the Supreme Judicial Court, allowed Mr. Rosa to be freed while Judge Ricciuti considered his Motion for New Trial.

In his decision, Judge Ricciuti held that the evidence against Mr. Rosa at trial was “far from overwhelming” and that the new DNA evidence “debunks the prosecution’s closing statement” and “casts doubt regarding the reliability of the eyewitness testimony,” which we now know, based on advances in science, was “not as strong as the Commonwealth thought.”

Specifically, all of the forensic blood-typing evidence that the Commonwealth used at trial to connect Mr. Rosa to this crime is now contradicted by new DNA testing. The only remaining evidence was the testimony of two eyewitnesses who viewed the perpetrator at night for less than ten seconds under circumstances that we now know, based on numerous exonerations and research, create a high risk of misidentification. In addition, Mr. Rosa did not have the one distinctive feature noted by an eyewitness – a missing tooth or gap in his teeth. Finally, the eyewitnesses described a scenario where the victim and assailant knew each other, but Mr. Rosa and the victim never knew each other.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office assented to Mr. Rosa’s motion for postconviction relief and must now decide whether to dismiss the charges against Mr. Rosa or proceed with a fourth trial. Despite a court order requiring the Commonwealth to preserve the physical evidence in the case, the Commonwealth lost the murder weapon as well as other evidence from the crime scene.

“We are grateful that the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office agreed to this relief. Given the new DNA and scientific evidence that dismantles the Commonwealth’s case against Mr. Rosa, there is no other just outcome but to have this conviction overturned,” said Attorney Radha Natarajan, Executive Director of the New England Innocence Project, who has been representing Mr. Rosa for the last seven years. Natarajan continued, “We are hopeful that the District Attorney will now end this nightmare by dismissing all charges against Mr. Rosa. There should be no fourth trial for this innocent man.”

Mr. Rosa’s co-counsel, Boston College Innocence Program Senior Attorney Charlotte Whitmore said, “Many BCIP students worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help achieve this long-awaited outcome and we are privileged to have partnered with the New England Innocence Project to achieve justice for Mr. Rosa after so many years of wrongful imprisonment.”

Since obtaining his freedom, Mr. Rosa has been reunited with his family, including his wife, son, and grandchildren, who are a constant source of joy for him. He has been very involved in his community, especially the Exoneree Network community, lending support to others who have experienced a wrongful conviction or suffered the trauma of long-term incarceration. Unfortunately, Mr. Rosa has suffered from declining health as a result of decades of wrongful imprisonment and inadequate healthcare. He looks forward to closing this chapter as soon as possible.

Reading the Court’s decision, Mr. Rosa reacted that “the truth is finally coming out.” Mr. Rosa’s wife, Virginia, stated, “I am excited and believe that the future will get better and brighter. From prison to freedom, how sweet it is!” But reflecting on the prospect of retrial, Mr. Rosa added, "I am free but not free." 

For more information or for media inquiries, contact Jordan Salvatoriello at jordan@newenglandinnocence.org.

Honoring the Legacy of Exoneree, Bobby Joe Leaster

New Book About Bobby Joe’s Case and Life, Justice Under God, Benefits NEIP

Pictured: Judge Christopher Muse (right) with client Bobby Joe Leaster on Bobby’s 35th birthday.

“He was a client, then a friend, then a brother.” — Judge Christopher Muse

Bobby Joe Leaster served 15 years in a Massachusetts state prison for a murder he did not commit. With the help of father-son team, Robert and Christopher Muse, he won his freedom and worked for decades with at-risk youth as one of Boston’s preeminent street workers.

Christoper Muse, now a retired judge, launched his new book about Bobby Joe’s case and life, Justice Under God, on Amazon on January 8, in celebration of what would have been Bobby Joe’s 75th birthday.

“It was personally rewarding for me to write this book, not only to honor Bobby Joe’s life and legacy but to raise awareness about wrongful convictions and help bring necessary change to the criminal justice system.

The appellate courts, for too long, defaulted to their stubborn adherence to the principle of Finality of Conviction.  When I gave Bobby Joe the bad news from his fourth rejected appeal, he asked with the first hint of anger I had ever observed: ‘How did I get a fair trial if I am innocent?’”
— Judge Christopher Muse

“Bobby Joe Leaster’s story continues to teach us the power of hope and the importance of creating systemic change to prevent future wrongful convictions.” 
— Radha Natarajan, Executive Director, NEIP

100% of the royalties from the book will go to the New England Innocence Project in support of our fight against injustice in the criminal legal system for people like Bobby Joe.

This is What Community Looks Like

Thank you for being such an important part of our community.
We’re excited to share some of these memorable moments with you.

We’ve had a very eventful fall! Our community came together over the past several weeks in celebration and solidarity, in hope and in healing at events like Jammin’ for Justice, Running for Innocence, Voices of the Innocent, and Wrongful Conviction Day. We’ve worked together to grow the movement to free innocent people from prison. We’ve raised our voices in honor of loved ones who are still incarcerated. We’ve educated our legislators in an effort to shed light on wrongful convictions, and advocated for reforms to prevent future tragedies and help freed people to thrive.

For additional photos and information about our fall community events, please see below.

Upcoming Events & Ways to Get Involved

Jammin’ for Justice
October 24 | 6 - 9 p.m.
The Burren, Somerville

 
 

At the fourth annual Jammin’ for Justice event, the night’s theme, “Wounded but Not Broken,” symbolizes the loss and resilience that the Exoneree Network co-founders — Sean Ellis, Ray Champagne, and Victor Rosario — recognized in themselves and sought to embody in their work supporting others. Concert proceeds will help provide support for exonerees as they rebuild in freedom and ensure newly freed and exonerated people will have the opportunity to attend the 2025 Innocence Network Conference where this community can come together to heal after the trauma of long-term incarceration.

Enjoy a special line-up of musical guests, including the "Friends of Justice" band which will perform original songs of exoneration, the "Peace Players," led by exoneree Milton Jones, and the "OGs," led by exonerees Joseph Pope and Albert Brown, featuring songs they wrote and performed together while wrongfully incarcerated for crimes they did not commit. Tickets are on sale now, $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

Running for Innocence
November 3  |  Lexington, MA

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Running for Innocence team! On November 3, our team will return to the Lexington Battlegreen 5K/10K with the goal of raising $25,000 in the fight for freedom. This event offers options for runners and non-runners of all ages and is a wonderful opportunity to meet and welcome our exoneree team members, all of whom inspire us to continue this important work.

Funds raised will help pay for the investigators and experts needed to free innocent people incarcerated for crimes they did not commit and support the Exoneree Network, which cultivates a thriving and safe community for exonerees and those who have suffered the trauma of long-term incarceration. Please join us!

“Unbroken”
October 19, 7:30 p.m.  |  Strand Theater, Boston

 
 

For one night only! On October 19, 2024 (7:30 p.m.), at Boston’s Strand Theater, the Jo-Mé Dance Theatre will perform “Unbroken,” a breathtaking dance performance that includes 4 works by choreographers Naoko Brown and Joe González, and features the story of Sean Ellis’ fight for justice after a wrongful conviction. Learn more and purchase tickets.

NEIP Executive Director Awarded Liberation Leader Honor

Boston Women’s Fund Honors NEIP Executive Director
as 2024 Liberation Leader


In September 2024, The Boston Women’s Fund honored 40 Liberation Leaders who have contributed outstanding work toward racial, gender, economic, and social justice in Greater Boston, including the New England Innocence Project’s Executive Director, Radha Natarajan.

The honor was given for exemplary leadership and dedication to advancing the welfare of the community through the disruption and dismantlement of oppressive systems. Congratulations, Radha!

Bearing witness: A day of torment and of hope

 
 

To our community, 

Yesterday was a day of torment and a day of hope.

In Missouri, far from our work in New England but close to our hearts that long for justice, Marcellus Williams, a client of the Midwest Innocence Project, was murdered by execution. There were serious questions about the reliability and integrity of that conviction, so much so that the prosecutors and victim’s family also opposed his execution and attempted to spare his life. Despite the millions of people who spoke out urgently against this execution, the Attorney General, trial court, Governor, Missouri Supreme Court, and the United States Supreme Court all ensured that the death penalty would be carried out against Mr. Williams.

We stand firmly against the death penalty. With wrongful convictions being overturned every day, demonstrating how easy it is for us to get it wrong, the death penalty should never be an option. There’s no public safety benefit to pretending that an irreversibly punitive system is flawless and serves justice.

Massachusetts also used to have the death penalty. Many people believed then – as they do now – that there were enough safeguards in our system to prevent an innocent person from being wrongfully convicted and executed. Many people thought then – as they do now – that it is easy to tell if someone is innocent or guilty simply by believing the narrative told by the media or officials who all too often rely on mistaken eyewitnesses, incentivized witnesses, flawed forensics, false confessions, and racial bias. Unfortunately, these are just myths. A clear example of this is when our client, Gary Cifizzari, was convicted and sentenced for murder, the judge was so certain of his guilt that he lamented not being able to impose the death penalty. But that judge was wrong. Gary Cifizzari was innocent and was finally exonerated after 35 years in prison.

We know all too well that even cases that appear to have powerful evidence of guilt can fall apart when that evidence is tested. In fact, as we waited to hear whether our worst fears would be realized in Missouri, we were here in Massachusetts fighting to overturn another wrongful conviction, that of our client Edward Wright, based on new DNA evidence and evidence that was wrongfully withheld by the government.

After 40 years in prison and five previous attempts to overturn his wrongful conviction, Edward Wright was back in court yesterday with hope. It was a packed courtroom, with loved ones, Exoneree Network members, advocates, and our incredible legal team that includes attorneys from Skadden and Quinn Emanuel. I and my co-counsel, Stephanie Hartung, were honored to argue the case in court. We don’t know what will happen next, but we cannot stop fighting for justice for our community, even with tragedies, setbacks, resistance, and all the myths that permeate our criminal legal system.

Every case is a fight, and we must all bear witness to both the devastation of the losses we endure and the joy of freedom and community when we prevail. This work holds the possibility of something better for individuals, families, communities, and truly, for all of us. With so many innocent people still in prison, we cannot possibly give up hope. And we won’t.

In grief and solidarity,

 

Radha Natarajan
Executive Director
New England Innocence Project

Massachusetts State Senator Patricia Jehlen to Receive 2024 ARC OF JUSTICE Award

Presented by the New England Innocence Project in honor of the Senator’s 20+ years of fighting on behalf of wrongfully convicted people and their families

On September 12 at City Winery Boston, as the New England Innocence Project commemorates 20 years of fighting for freedom at their annual storytelling event, Voices of the Innocent, the social justice nonprofit will honor Senator Patricia Jehlen for her more than 20 years of dedicated service in support of wrongfully convicted people and their families.

Over the last two decades, Senator Jehlen has passed landmark legislation to compensate victims of wrongful convictions. Working directly with people who have been exonerated, their loved ones, and advocates, Senator Jehlen has tirelessly fought for people who have endured the trauma of wrongful imprisonment and long-term incarceration, ensuring that they are supported in freedom and compensated for what they have suffered.

Senator Jehlen has helped people understand that, when someone is exonerated and freed, they are not automatically given support or assistance from the state that wrongfully convicted them. Instead, exonerees are required to go back to court, fight for compensation, and even when they succeed, they do not always receive an adequate sum for such a tragic injustice.

Senator Jehlen has championed funding for the Exoneree Network, a program of the New England Innocence Project that creates a thriving community for families impacted by long-term incarceration and provides direct support, including housing, financial stipends, therapeutic spaces, and more.

“The New England Innocence Project has helped free numerous innocent people, often after decades in prison,” says Senator Jehlen. “I worked to pass the 2004 Wrongful Convictions compensation law, based on stories like that of Lawyer Johnson. But even when people like Sean Ellis were exonerated after decades in prison, they had to fight for months or even years to get any compensation. I'll continue to work for reform with the New England Innocence Project and the Exoneree Network. I'm honored to receive this award, and am so grateful for their dedication to justice for people unjustly robbed of their liberty.”

“Senator Jehlen has devoted her time, and heart, to wrongfully convicted people and their families so that their long-fought freedom can be a time of joy and reunification. Her work has been a salve for the trauma caused by wrongful incarceration,” says Radha Natarajan, Executive Director of the New England Innocence Project.

The ARC OF JUSTICE Award recognizes the special contributions of a community member who “bends the arc of the moral universe toward justice.” Senator Jehlen has been an incredible partner to the New England Innocence Project over the last 20 years and has truly bent the arc of the moral universe toward more justice for wrongfully convicted people.

Event & Arc of Justice Award Presentation Details:
Voices of the Innocent: Free Us All!
September 12, Program at 7:00 p.m.
City Winery Boston  |  80 Beverly Street, Boston, MA

“Senator Patricia Jehlen’s unwavering support of the Exoneree Network has provided not just a voice for the wrongfully convicted but a lifeline to hope and healing,” says exoneree and Director of the Exoneree Network, Sean Ellis. “She understands that justice doesn’t end with exoneration—it extends to rebuilding lives, restoring dignity, and ensuring that every exoneree has the opportunity to thrive. Her leadership is a continuation of hope for those of us who have faced the unimaginable, and her work stands as a powerful reminder that true justice is rooted in humanity and compassion. The Arc of Justice Award is a testament to her unyielding commitment to creating a more just and equitable commonwealth.”

About Voices of the Innocent: Free Us All!
Join us in celebrating our 20th anniversary as a nonprofit at Voices of the Innocent, the New England Innocence Project’s annual storytelling event and fundraiser. At this unique and powerful event, we will hear stories from innocent people impacted by wrongful convictions and their loved ones and learn what it takes to persevere in the fight for freedom.

Funds raised through this event directly support the work of the New England Innocence Project by providing forensic testing, investigation, experts, an experienced legal team, and social service advocates to free innocent people, bring them home to their loved ones, and help them rebuild their lives in freedom. Through public support, we can also educate and advocate for systemic change to prevent future tragedies.  Learn more at www.newenglandinnocence.org/voicesoftheinnocent.

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Our Impact Report is Here!

Your Support Makes a Big Impact
Impact Report: June 2023 - 2024

Every June, we reflect back on our journey together, celebrate our collective impact, and prepare for the fight ahead. While this work is often heartbreaking and bittersweet, we’re clearly making an impact. And we will never stop. With your help, we can make freedom possible for people who have been wrongfully convicted and help directly impacted people find community and begin to heal.

As you can see in this year’s Impact Report below, when you make a gift to the New England Innocence Project, you help to:

  • Free people throughout New England who have been wrongfully convicted and reunite them with their loved ones — people like Tommy Rosa, Jason Carroll, and Edward Wright

  • Shine a light on injustice and amplify the stories of people most impacted

  • Support preventative solutions to address systemic issues that lead to wrongful convictions, including banning deception in police interrogations

  • Shift policy to help more people find a path to freedom and provide just compensation for those who have suffered a wrongful conviction

  • Support people upon their release and help them rebuild in freedom

Click below to view an interactive PDF of our June 2023 - 2024 Impact Report and learn more about memorable moments and some of the many ways your support has been making an impact over the last 12 months.

Click each photo in the report for detailed impact updates