Born from one man's experience inside the system — and his commitment to changing it for everyone who comes after.
After spending more than 11 years in prison for crimes he did not commit, Duane Williams knows firsthand what it means to be failed by the very system designed to deliver justice.
In 2012, a fatal fire destroyed a home on Fielding Street in northwest Detroit. Two men died. Duane had argued with one of them the night before over rent and housing. That argument — combined with a jailhouse informant's uncorroborated testimony and a fire investigation later found to be deeply flawed — was enough to send him to prison for life.
What the jury never knew:
On June 18, 2024, Wayne County Circuit Judge Bradley Cobb vacated all convictions. On October 17, 2024, all charges were dismissed. Duane Williams became a legally recognized exoneree after more than 11 years imprisoned.
Watch the full account of Duane Williams's wrongful conviction, the evidence that was suppressed, and the decade-long fight that led to his exoneration in 2024.
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A fire destroys a home on Fielding Street in northwest Detroit. Two men die. The cause is initially classified as undetermined and the deaths as accidental.
Gary Jennings, arrested on unrelated charges while on probation, provides an unrecorded statement claiming Duane confessed. The medical examiner changes the cause of death to homicide.
Duane Williams is arrested and charged with murder and arson.
Wayne County jury convicts on felony murder, second-degree murder, and first-degree arson. Case no. 13-002478-FC.
Michigan Court of Appeals affirms the conviction. Appellate case no. 318856.
Michigan State Appellate Defender Office, through attorney Maya Menlo, takes the case. Cooley Law School Innocence Project assists.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Conviction Integrity Unit opens a review and uncovers suppressed evidence: withheld photographs, an altered fire report, and contradicted witness accounts.
Judge Bradley Cobb vacates all convictions after finding the prosecution failed to disclose favorable evidence. Duane is released on a personal-recognizance bond.
All charges dismissed. Duane Williams is a legally recognized exoneree. Contributing factors listed by the National Registry: official misconduct, false or misleading forensic evidence, and perjury or false accusation.
Duane founds 444 Justice and in July 2025 files a federal civil-rights lawsuit seeking accountability for the years he lost.
Duane's story has been covered by local and national news. Watch the coverage below.
Fox 2 Detroit covers Duane Williams's case and exoneration after more than 11 years wrongfully imprisoned.
Channel 4 News reports on the evidence suppressed in Duane Williams's case and the fight that led to his freedom.
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