Greg Bright and Earl Truvia

Greg Bright and his co-defendant Earl Truvia were convicted in 1975 of second-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. At the time, Greg was 20 years old, and Earl was only 17. The convictions were based solely on the testimony of a single supposed eyewitness. The jury never heard from the coroner, who would have testified that the time of death did not coincide with the time that the witness claimed she saw the murder. Nor did the jury know that the eyewitness was a paranoid schizophrenic who suffered from auditory and visual hallucinations, who was medicating her mental illness with heroin, who gave the police information in exchange for cash, and was testifying under a false name to conceal her own problems with the law.

Greg and Earl were granted an evidentiary hearing in February 2002, at which IPNO demonstrated not only the problems with the single eyewitness, but also that the State had concealed a police report describing alternate suspects. The convictions were overturned and they were granted a new trial. The Louisiana Supreme Court upheld the reversal of their convictions, and on June 24, 2003, after 27 1/2 years, Greg and Earl were both released after the Orleans Parish District Attorney dismissed all charges. They left prison with nothing but a ten dollar check each from the State of Louisiana, and garbage bags full of legal paperwork.

Greg and Earl are now rebuilding their lives with the help of IPNO's Exoneree Advocacy Program. Greg lives in rural Mississippi, with his girlfriend and her disabled son, whom he provides care for. Greg'sand his ability to find work is hampered by his transportation problems. Earl has remained in New Orleans and has worked for a Residents's Initiative in the housing project where the murder for which he was wrongfully convicted took place.

Greg and Earl when they were arrested in 1975; they spent the next 27 1/2 years in prison for a crime they did not commit, and were released when they were in their mid to late forties.