Innocent Man Is Freed From Prison Following 38 Year Sentence — He Reunites With Dog He Raised Behind Bars

Nov 14, 2020

Sometimes justice isn't served. This was the case for a man by the name of Malcolm Alexander who was wrongfully accused and convicted of a crime in 1980 when he was just 21 years old.

Although being behind those prison walls was arguably one of the worst places that he could be, Malcolm also met one of his dearest friends there as well: a dog called Innocent. When he was released from the Louisiana State Penitentiary in 2018 after being found innocent, he got to reunite with his best friend once more.

While going to prison can be tough on anyone, as a young man in his 20s, Malcolm didn't imagine he would spend almost double his lifetime behind bars for something he did not do. However, another thing he didn't think he would do in prison was become such good friends with the hairiest resident of them all, a puppy.

“I named her Inn because I was innocent and she was innocent,” Alexander told a CBS affiliate.

Innocent, the pup that Malcolm was allowed to raise, was born to a female dog that was not only the prison pet but also belonged to one of Malcolm's friends, reports TODAY. Innocent, also known as Inn for short, was the tiniest of her mother's litter and considered to be the runt of the group. Not only did Malcolm give Innocent her name, but he was also allowed to raise her as they would often spend time together inside of the prison's common areas.

"To have a dog is a privilege," Alexander told TODAY. "It makes the world different."

After spending 38 years behind bars for a crime that he didn't commit, Malcolm was finally exonerated and freed in 2018 thanks to a nonprofit group called the Innocence Project, reports TODAY. The organization helps to have cases reopened and assists with exonerating wrongfully convicted people by using DNA testing. After nearly 40 years, it was this technology that helped to clear Malcolm's name, allowing him to become a free man.

While being able to reclaim his freedom after decades of being incarcerated and getting to finally reunite with his family was great, there was one reunion that Malcolm didn't expect nor could any onlookers not be moved by. After raising her for nine months before finally being released, Malcolm, who had now been declared innocent, got to see his puppy, Innocent, for the first time outside of the prison walls. With such a joyous reunion, it's almost difficult to tell which one of the two is happier to see the other.

At first, Innocent was a bit confused as to what was going on. But once Innocent saw that she was being reunited with her papa, the pup's little tail couldn't stop wagging as she happily leaped into Malcolm's arms. Judging by the number of views that the video clip of their reunion garnered, it is probably safe to say that a dog is not only man's best friend, but social media's as well.

Malcolm exclaimed how excited he was to be seeing his pup again for the first time as a free man. He talked about how much Innocent loves to chase birds and said that it is one of the things he plans to allow her to do whenever they go to the park.

Now a free man, Malcolm is just trying to get his life back on track, and with the help of the Innocence Project, Malcolm is currently in the process of being able to do that and more. So far, Malcolm has raised about $19,000. With more than 80,000 views of his reunion video with his pup Innocent, more people have been made aware of Malcolm's story, and how it reflects the sad reality of so many others.

However, with the help of amazing organizations such as the Innocence Project, a supportive fanbase on social media, and a lovable little pup that can light up a room, Malcolm has an incredible support network. Not only can his story help to create awareness of the injustice that he was dealt, but it can also help to prevent these types of things from happening to other people in the future.

Readers can find out more about the Innocence Project here. As of today, 375 people have been exonerated in the U.S. thanks to DNA testing.

Tell us your thoughts about the happy ending to this tale. Do dogs bring you as much joy as Innocent brings Malcolm? Let us know and pass this story on.