Innocence Project speaker coming to MoWest

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- A man released from prison for murder due to a false conviction will speak at a Constitution Day event at Missouri Western State University.

Floyd Bledsoe of the Midwest Chapter of the Innocence Project will speak at 6:00 p.m. on Sept. 17 at the MoWest's Fulkerson Center.

According to a press release by MoWest, Bledsoe spent over 16 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Convicted of murder in 2000, he was later fully exonerated in 2015 after DNA evidence identified the real perpetrator.

According to its website, the Innocence Project works to free wrongfully convicted prisoners, prevent wrongful convictions and advocate for a fair and compassionate justice system.

The event is sponsored by the Center for Student Involvement at Missouri Western. For more information, contact Crystal Dowdell at (816) 294-5974.