text I trained as a lawyer to free my brother.txt

My brother Kenny and I were +best friends growing up+. Although I was younger, he +always looked up to me+. When he was +arrested for murdering+ his +elderly neighbour+, it +was a total shock+. He +had an alibi+, so we thought he would be coming home. But, although +the evidence was fraudulent+, he was +given a life sentence+. He was twenty-nine.

Shortly after +his first appeal failed+, Kenny +tried to commit suicide+. I was +angry with+ him, but he said. 'I can't spend the rest of my life in prison for something I didn't do. I'm not going to make it.' I +never doubted+ his innocence. He didn't start trouble and would never have killed this woman. We had no more money for lawyers, so it was then he asked me to go to law school and become +his attorney+. I was +unemployed+; I didn't even have +a college degree+. But I promised him I'd make it happen as long as he promised to stay alive.

Getting Kenny out of prison became my life. I +enrolled at+ the local +community college+, then went on to +law school+. I  was married with two sons, but home life became very difficult and, when the kids were four and six, my husband and I +split up+. It was hard, but I took it +one hurdle+ at a time.

After Kenny had been in prison for sixteen years, I heard about the +Innocence Project+, an organisation that works to free +innocent people+ using  DNA testing - something that +wasn't available+ when he +was convicted+. One piece of evidence +at the trial+ was a bloodied curtain +the perpetrator+ had wiped their +hands on+. But it was so long since his trial, finding it wasn't easy. +By this point+, I didn't trust anyone. So, I asked other students from law school to tell the police they were +doing a project on+ the Waters case. Finally, a box with Kenny's name on it was found in one of the +archives+. My heart was pounding so hard as I opened it. As soon as I lifted the lid, I knew the curtain was in there.

Eighteen years after his conviction, Kenny was released. I remember taking him by the hand and walking out of the courtroom. The sense of freedom was amazing.

When I heard they were making a film of the story with Hilary Swank  playing me and Sam Rockwell as Kenny, I was so excited. Watching the film and talking about it with the team was like being in therapy.

This  experience has done a lot for me. I have grown in confidence and am proud to be involved with the Innocence Project. My brother was the eighty-third person to be released through DNA testing in the USA. Now there have been 259. I feel lucky to be a part of that.