In 1983, a man named Kenneth Waters in his 20s was wrongfully convicted of murder by his ex-girlfriend. He spent 18 years in prison until his high-school drop out sister put herself through law school, finally proving his innocence and setting him free.
Kenneth Waters used to frequent his local diner in Massachusetts, where he grew up in and now worked and lived with his girlfriend, Brenda Marsh.
On the morning of May 21, 1980, Mr. Waters was charged for a murder that he didn't really commit. It turns out, his neighbour Katherina Reitz Brow was murdered. She used to frequent at the same local diner that Mr. Waters worked at. The investigators even found a pairing knife with blood stains at the crime scene, making it apparent how the murderer killed her. Some jewellery and cash were also missing off of her purse.
Given that she was a frequent customer at the diner, the investigator began to suspect that the diner employees knew that the victim had money in her home.
But when Mr. Waters was investigated, including his fingerprints and any blood stains on his clothes, there was no evidence of his crime, after which they let him go and he was free for the next two years. He had broken up with his then girlfriend and had nothing to do with the crime scene until a man named Robert Osborne who lived with Mr. Waters ex-girlfriend made a deal with the police that he would reveal information about the murder in exchange for money. He further added that Mr. Waters had confessed to his ex-girlfriend that he had killed a woman.
To confirm, police went on to question Mr. Waters ex-girlfriend, who at that time refused to get involved with the investigation. But when the police threatened her for being charged as a murder accessory, she revealed that Mr. Waters did confess to her that morning about stabbing a woman and stealing her jewellery and money.
Mr. Waters was charged with murder after that and sentenced to life in prison on May 11, 1983.
In 2000, Betty Anne Waters, sister of Mr. Waters fought hard to prove his innocence. She put herself through law school after which she appealed the court to conduct DNA test of blood found at the crime scene. After multiple cross examination, it was found that the police reports were incomplete and had turned over, including Mr. Waters' work schedule.
Mr Waters was finally dropped of all the charges and set free on March 15, 2001.
He had the best six months of his life. Unfortunately, shorty after that, he passed away in a tragic accident on September 19, 2001, at the age of 47 years old.
