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In 2016, 52-year-old Willie T. Donald knew his life was about to change for the better. This was because he was exonerated from all the charges and released from prison after serving nearly 24 years. Donald was wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder and armed robbery in 1992, receiving a sentence of 60 years in prison.
Investigation Discovery's People Magazine Investigates is scheduled to revisit the unfortunate incident. It will look at the wrongful conviction of then-23-year-old Donald in the 1992 armed robbery and murder case of Bernard Jimenez in Gary, Indiana.
The episode is titled Alibi and will air on June 20, 2022 at 9 p.m. ET. It would narrate Donald's story, which started nearly three decades ago, until he was released after a re-examination of the case proved his innocence.
Exploring Willie T. Donald's whereabouts after his exoneration in 2016
In 2006, the Chicago Innocence Center and the Medill Innocence Project at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism began reexamining the details surrounding Willie T. Donald's 1992 case. The true perpetrator of the homicide and armed robberies that occurred in the Glen Park neighborhood of Gary, Indiana, was eventually identified as Lavelle Thompson. The then 18-year-old Thompson was a member of a local gang.
After spending 24 years in prison, Donald was finally freed in 2016.
Upon his released from prison, then-52-year-old Donald, an Indiana resident, quickly learned that the world was much different from how it was back in 1992. The world was especially different for someone who had served more than 20 years in confinement. Due to a lack of resources, money, and job opportunities, life became quite challenging for him.
However, just a little while after he was released from jail, in February 2016, he had a life-changing encounter with Dr. Nicky Jackson. Dr. Jackson is an associate professor of criminal justice at Purdue University Northwest in Hammond, Indiana. She soon persevered in helping Donald acquire a part-time job and other resources that he needed at the time.
Her efforts to assist exonerees went on for about two years. During this time, she met regularly with local officials and spoke with state representative Greg Steuerwald. The state rep. promoted new laws to reimburse exonerees for the years they spent behind bars after being wrongfully convicted.
The Willie T. Donald Exoneration Advisory Coalition was established in 2020 by Jackson to give Donald and those like him the tools they need to reclaim their lives.
Dr. Jackson commented on the situation of exonerees in Indiana, saying,
"If you came out of prison in Indiana, because you're innocent, they did nothing for you. It was by the grace of God that he had his family. I wanted to make some changes."
Residing in Indiana, Willie T. Donald has been adapting to life in a technologically advanced society even though it gets very challenging for him at times. Despite obtaining two college degrees while incarcerated, he struggled to understand simple tasks carrying a past baggage of the convictions on his record notwithstanding his exoneration.
While commenting on his friendship with Dr. Nicky Jackson, Donald said,
"Not everyone has a Mrs. Jackson. She helped me out so much."
Dr. Jackson responded, saying,
"My life has changed and been enriched more so maybe than even Mr. Donald's. He's given me so much."
Donald now assists Jackson as a board member for the Willie T. Donald Exoneration Advisory Coalition when he is not working. He also spends a lot of time with his family and girlfriend of a few years now.
Catch the full story of Indiana exoneree Willie T. Donald on People Magazine Investigates' upcoming episode on Monday, June 20, 2022, on ID and Discovery+.
