Skip to content
USAInsightreport
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • About Us
Menu

Man Wrongfully Jailed for 27 Years: His Sister Became a Lawyer to Fight for His Freedom

Posted on July 9, 2025 by Usainsightreport

After nearly three decades of wrongful imprisonment, 47-year-old Benjamin Cole is finally free. The Greensboro, North Carolina man was convicted in 1998 for a crime he has always maintained he didn’t commit — the murder of Calvin Jenkins, who was found fatally shot in his Greensboro apartment. On June 25, 2025, a judge vacated his conviction, bringing an end to a 27-year fight for justice.

A Childhood Shattered

Benjamin’s arrest came when he was just 20 years old. For his younger sister, Britney Butler, it was a moment that changed the course of her entire life. She was only nine years old at the time, and the trauma of seeing her big brother taken away ignited a fire within her that would shape her future. That fire led her to law school.

“I knew he didn’t do it. I knew from the start,” Butler said in an emotional statement following her brother’s release. “And I promised myself, even as a little girl, that I’d do everything I could to bring him home.”

And she did just that. Now a practicing attorney, Butler was instrumental in reopening her brother’s case and securing the legal assistance needed to challenge the conviction.

A Case Built on Lies and Omissions

The breakthrough came when Duke University’s Wrongful Convictions Clinic joined forces with Butler and her legal team to reexamine the case. What they uncovered was deeply troubling.

Key police files had never been shared with the defense during the original trial — a serious violation of Cole’s rights. Among these hidden documents were statements and evidence that supported his alibi: that he had been in Ohio at the time of Jenkins’ murder.

Moreover, the clinic uncovered that multiple witnesses had lied under oath, and critically, there was no physical evidence tying Cole to the scene. Despite the lack of forensic proof, a jury convicted him based largely on flawed testimony.

“It was a miscarriage of justice,” said one of the attorneys with Duke’s clinic. “This case is exactly why innocence projects exist.”

The Alford Plea and Release

On June 25th, 2025, a judge agreed to vacate Benjamin’s original conviction. Rather than face a retrial — and possibly remain entangled in a system that had already failed him — Cole accepted an Alford plea to a lesser charge. This plea allows him to maintain his innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors had enough to potentially convict him again.

Though bittersweet, it opened the prison doors.

Rebuilding a Stolen Life

Now free, Cole is cautiously stepping into a world that has moved on without him. Technology is one of the biggest hurdles — he never used a smartphone, the internet, or even seen social media.

“He asked me what TikTok was,” Butler said, smiling through tears. “We’re taking baby steps.”

Cole is currently undergoing reentry counseling and is being supported by community programs designed to help exonerees rebuild their lives. He hopes to one day speak to youth about perseverance and resilience, and possibly even write a book about his ordeal.

But the scars remain.

“I lost 27 years,” Cole said at a recent press conference. “I lost birthdays, holidays, my mom’s funeral… all of it. But I got my freedom. I got my sister. And I got the truth on my side.”

A Sister’s Promise Fulfilled

For Britney Butler, her brother’s homecoming is the culmination of a lifelong mission. Her transformation from a grieving child into a fierce legal advocate is not just a testament to family loyalty — it’s a reminder of the incredible impact one determined person can make.

“I became a lawyer because I had to,” she said. “Because the system didn’t protect my brother. So I had to grow up and be the system that would.”

Cole’s story is one of tragedy, resilience, and ultimately, redemption. It’s a powerful example of how wrongful convictions don’t just affect the accused, but their entire families — and how love, combined with justice, can turn the tide.

Share on Social Media
facebookwhatsapptelegram

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • In Loving Memory of DaVaughn Pellis
  • In Loving Memory of Jeff Harloff , Dedicated Public Servant, Leader, and Friend
  • In Loving Memory of Michael Murphy
  • Man Wrongfully Jailed for 27 Years: His Sister Became a Lawyer to Fight for His Freedom
  • Randy Couture Rushed to Hospital After Severe Racing Crash

Recent Comments

No comments to show.

Archives

  • July 2025
  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025

Categories

  • News
©2025 USAInsightreport | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme