Staff
Radha Natarajan
Executive Director
Radha is committed to fighting for freedom alongside the people, families, and communities harmed by the criminal legal system. As a daughter of immigrants, Radha recognizes the intersectionality of movements for liberation and looks for opportunities to challenge the systems that keep people from thriving. Radha uses litigation and organizing strategies to confront myths and biases that lead to injustice. This includes efforts to prevent and correct wrongful convictions caused by eyewitness misidentification, tunnel vision by investigators, and flawed forensic science. She started her legal career at the Roxbury Defenders and served as a public defender for 12 years before joining NEIP as a Staff Attorney in 2015 and becoming Executive Director in 2018. Pronouns: she/her/hers
Sadie Blanco
Development Coordinator
Sadie has several years of experience working and advocating for a multitude of social justice issues. Most recently, her work in fundraising for a domestic violence service organization taught her the valuable lesson of intersectionality within justice and equity. Her work in this area underscored her belief in empowering individuals and fostering safe, supportive communities. Sadie's passion for the innocence movement has been nurtured throughout her personal and professional life. She is excited to continue fundraising and creating authentic, compassionate connections with community members who have a shared passion for NEIP's mission. Pronouns: she/her/hers
Laura Carey
Staff Attorney
Laura developed her passion for the innocence movement while working on an active NEIP case as a pro bono attorney. Having seen the incredibly damaging effects of wrongful conviction, she made the commitment to devote her professional life to fighting its causes and addressing its consequences. Laura works closely with law firm attorneys and law students to screen and litigate cases throughout New England. She has a particular interest in cases that require in-depth factual investigation and is enthusiastic about requesting and utilizing public records to shed light on injustice and move clients closer to freedom. Pronouns: she/her/hers
Gina Christo
Director of Development
Gina is an expert fundraiser and seasoned strategist. In the first decade of their career, Gina has raised nearly $4 million dollars for women, women of color, and LGBTQ candidates and organizations who are committed to structural change. Previously, Gina served as the Strategic Engagement Advisor at Rivera Consulting (RC), leading a diverse client portfolio spanning fundraising, capacity building, and strategic planning for such influential progressive leaders in Massachusetts such as State Senator Liz Miranda, State Senator Becca Rausch, and former Mayor Kim Janey. They also contributed significantly to national organizations, creating fundraising training and anti-racist curricula for the Four Freedoms Fund and The Center for Budget and Policy. Gina is passionate about liberatory justice and is excited to bring their skills to the collaborative work of correcting and preventing wrongful convictions within the criminal legal system. Pronouns: they/them
Kari Cincotta
Supervising Attorney
Kari spent her 21-year legal career defending the rights of individuals accused of a crime, including persons sentenced to civil commitment. After graduating from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 1999, she represented adult and juvenile clients in cases ranging from assault to murder at the Colorado Public Defender Office. In 2007, she joined their appellate unit to specialize in appeals and post-conviction matters. In 2008, Kari joined Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) as a staff attorney with the Alternative Commitment Unit, where she defended incarcerated sexual offenders from “a day to life” civil commitments. In 2010, she resumed defending clients against criminal complaints and indictments at the Brockton Superior Court. Recently, Kari continued fighting for indigent persons while also supervising attorneys in the Fall River offices for CPCS before joining the New England Innocence Project. It is Kari’s passion to fight injustices, especially those common in the court and trial system, and to work to right the wrongs of an often flawed system. Pronouns: she/her/hers
Sean Ellis
Director, Exoneree Network
Exoneration # 2364
Sean is an exoneree, motivational speaker, and fierce advocate for reforms to the criminal legal system. At the age of 19, Sean was arrested for the murder of a police officer and was wrongfully convicted at his third trial, only after two juries could not reach a unanimous verdict. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Significant police corruption and misconduct, including witness coercion, evidence tampering, and misleading forensic evidence, led to Sean’s wrongful conviction. He was fully exonerated in 2021 after spending nearly 22 years in prison for a crime he did not commit and his story is now the subject of the Netflix docu-series, Trial 4. In 2020, he co-founded the Exoneree Network, a peer-led program funded by the New England Innocence Project, to support the practical, emotional, and spiritual reentry needs of exonerees as they process the trauma of long-term incarceration and work to rebuild their lives in freedom. Sean is frequently invited to speak to help spread awareness about wrongful convictions throughout New England. He spoke at NEIP’s 2020 Voices of the Innocent: Power in Community virtual event and was an exoneree storyteller at the inaugural Voices of the Innocent: Still We Rise in 2019. Pronouns: he/him/his
Jacqueline Fonseca
Intake Coordinator
Jacqui is a passionate social advocate and community organizer. Born and raised in Dorchester to immigrant parents, she's been advocating for housing and food equity since a young age. Being exposed to violence and incarceration in her community; Jacqui quickly learned the cause and effects of oppression. With a background in criminal justice and sociology, she's excelled as a housing advocate and licensed realtor, specializing in affordable housing. Her advocacy work extends to supporting incarcerated people and their loved ones. Jacqui is excited to bring her skills to NEIP, as her personal mission aligns with the organization’s, to continue fighting for the freedom of those that are most marginalized by legal injustice.
Raymond Gaines
Peer Advocate, Exoneree Network
Raymond was wrongfully convicted and spent 46 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. While in prison, Raymond fought tirelessly to prove his innocence, filing countless appeals and writing letters to anyone who would listen. With the help of attorney Merritt Schnipper, on April 28, 2021, Raymond was released from M.C.I. Norfolk on a Stay Of Execution of a natural life sentence. After nearly five decades behind the wall, he was released to a world that had changed beyond recognition. Despite the bitterness of losing so much of his life to wrongful imprisonment, Raymond refused to dwell on the past. Instead, he focused on rebuilding his life and becoming an advocate for criminal justice reform, using his own experience to shine a light on the flaws and injustices of the legal system. Through his resilience and determination, Raymond has become a symbol of hope and inspiration for countless others who have suffered similar injustices, including the innocent, wrongfully convicted, over-sentenced, and the medically frail. He finds healing in his role as Peer Advocate for the Exoneree Network where he researches and cultivates resources for EN Members, helping them adjust and rebuild after suffering the trauma of long-term incarceration.
Sean Graham
Community Reentry & Program Specialist,
Exoneree Network
Sean is dedicated to helping and empowering people returning home after wrongful convictions and long-term incarceration. His own experiences with the criminal legal system and long-term imprisonment have motivated him to become an advocate for others. He is committed to using his own struggles after release to inform how best to assist and support exonerees, as well as people who are freed but fighting, to rebuild their lives. Sean designs, implements, and facilitates programming that supports healing and provides resources to help every member of the Exoneree Network community to thrive. Pronouns: he/him/his
Stephanie Hartung
Senior Staff Attorney
Prior to joining NEIP in 2022, Stephanie was a law professor in Boston for 19 years. As a faculty member at Suffolk and Northeastern Law Schools, she taught courses focusing on lawyering skills, wrongful convictions, appellate advocacy, and social justice. Her research and scholarship focused on wrongful convictions and criminal procedure. For the last ten years, Stephanie has also served on NEIP’s Board of Trustees, and has authored multiple amicus briefs and law review articles on issues relating to DNA testing, flawed forensic evidence, and the “confluence of factors” approach to post-conviction review of innocence claims. Before joining academia, she worked as a public defender in California, where she advocated for indigent people charged with criminal offenses. She brings a wealth of experience and passion to her role at NEIP. Pronouns: she/her/hers
Meg Kerrigan
Case Coordinator
Meg first participated in innocence work as a research assistant for a university-based law project. She then worked as a researcher at a consulting firm focused on nonprofit organizations, where she participated in leadership searches within higher education and advocacy organizations. She is excited to support the work of overturning wrongful convictions and dismantling the forces behind them, in solidarity with everyone affected by injustice. Pronouns: she/her/hers
Cynthia Mousseau
Staff Attorney
Cynthia has been an attorney for over a decade and has worked as a public defender in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Due to her previous working relationships with the judiciary, law enforcement, prosecution, and the defense bar, she will be instrumental in expanding our mission in New Hampshire. Cynthia’s desire to pursue a deeper, more creative form of advocacy and her love of science inspires her work at the New England Innocence Project. She participates in planning educational events for attorneys and works with other people in New Hampshire to advise on and support important New Hampshire legislative reforms. In addition to screening and litigating NEIP post-conviction cases, Cynthia also works with attorneys pre-trial in an effort to prevent wrongful convictions before they happen. Pronouns: she/her/hers
Carolina Nunes
Operations Administrator, NEIP + Exoneree Network
Carolina, born and raised in Dorchester, has worked for various nonprofits in the Boston Area, from ensuring the safety of teens with behavioral and mental health diagnoses, accessing services for teen moms, assisting patients with a rare disease, and accessing therapy and working with individuals that have cognitive delays. She also has a background as a Family Law Legal Assistant. She is excited to offer support to the NEIP team and clients, as well as to exonerees and freed people through the Exoneree Network. Pronouns: she/her/hers
Stephen Pina
Community Engagement Associate
Stephen’s story is one of resilience and determination. Wrongfully convicted in 1996, he spent 28 years in prison before new evidence led to his release in 2022. Since then, he has been actively involved in community engagement, supporting those who have been wrongfully convicted and speaking at universities about the trauma of wrongful convictions. Stephen's advocacy work includes mentoring inner-city youth, aiming to steer them away from the criminal legal system. Despite not yet being formally exonerated, he remains steadfast in his pursuit of justice, driven by the desire to clear his name for the sake of his family and loved ones. He is proud to be a part of the ongoing fight against wrongful convictions and to help others like him rebuild in freedom. Pronouns: he/him/his
Jordan Salvatoriello
Senior Director of Communications
Jordan has over 20 years of experience in communications, public relations, and community outreach. She is an award-winning documentary filmmaker with a proven history of creating and sharing powerful social justice stories that mobilize communities to create change. Jordan specializes in developing and executing communications strategies aimed at increasing public awareness of NEIP’s mission to correct and prevent wrongful convictions, tapping vital public support, while also amplifying the stories of those most impacted, helping exonerees and their family members to share, heal, and inspire action. Pronouns: she/her/hers
Shar’Day Taylor
Social Service Advocate, Exoneree Network
Shar’Day is a licensed Social Worker and has worked with families for over 10 years to assist them in identifying and advocating for resources in their community. She also acts as a support person to her brother who was wrongfully convicted for a crime he did not commit. She was just three years old when her brother was taken from her family and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and this experience has been the motivation for her activism. As NEIP’s first-ever Social Service Advocate, Shar’Day provides clinical and case management support to people preparing for release from incarceration and freed people who have suffered from a wrongful conviction and long-term imprisonment. She is excited to work in partnership with both the Exoneree Network and NEIP to make a difference. Pronouns: she/her/hers
Nina Thacker
Equal Justice Works Fellow
Having previously worked at NEIP before law school, Nina is excited to rejoin the team as a legal fellow. Her two-year Equal Justice Works fellowship, sponsored by the Vertex Foundation, will focus on freeing wrongfully convicted people in New Hampshire. Nina will engage in litigation, education, and policy advocacy to help NEIP further develop their wrongful conviction practice in New Hampshire. Nina is interested in reimagining ways to prevent and respond to harm, and she is grateful to work with a community that values and fights for freedom. Pronouns: she/her/hers
Our Partners
John Nardizzi
Investigator
John Nardizzi is an investigator, lawyer and writer. As the principal of his own investigations firm specializing in civil and criminal trial work, John is a pioneer in investigating wrongful convictions and developing information on decades-old cases. In 2019, John committed to working more closely with NEIP, and his team played a critical role in freeing several innocent men from prison. John writes and speaks frequently about the investigations industry, and is admitted to the California and federal bars. Pronouns: he/him/his
Lorea Gillespie
Investigator
Lorea Gillespie is an investigator who has found her way back to the New England Innocence Project after having spent a few years away living abroad and in California. The draw to New England and more specifically NEIP's mission was too strong to keep her away for very long. With experience ranging from pretrial defense investigations in the Mid-South, to advocating for those unrepresented on California's death row, she brings an arsenal of investigative tools to her practice. She is dedicated to using her skills and determination to tackle the cracks she sees in the criminal legal system and advocating for the innocent. Pronouns: she/her/hers