Melvin DeJesus was 21 years old when he and his younger brother, George, were charged with the 1995 rape and murder of Margaret Midkiff in Pontiac. Melvin was a friend of Midkiff’s son and accompanied him when Midkiff’s body was discovered. Investigators collected biological samples, fingerprints, hair, and other evidence, but none of the physical or forensic evidence connected either brother to the crime. DNA testing identified the brothers’ friend, Brandon Gohagen, as the source of semen recovered from Midkiff. Gohagen admitted sexually assaulting her but accused Melvin and George of carrying out the fatal attack. In exchange for his cooperation and testimony, Gohagen was permitted to plead guilty to reduced charges. His accounts of the crime changed and conflicted with statements attributed to him by another witness. Melvin maintained that he had spent the night with his girlfriend. Police warned the 15-year-old girl that she could face perjury charges if she testified falsely and that Melvin could be prosecuted for statutory rape. At trial, the prosecution relied primarily on Gohagen’s testimony and a medical examiner’s opinion that Midkiff had been kicked repeatedly. An independent forensic examination requested by Melvin was denied. The brothers were convicted in December 1997 of first-degree murder and related offenses and sentenced to life in prison. Years later, an independent pathologist concluded that Midkiff’s injuries were more consistent with a single forceful stomp than a group attack. Further investigation revealed that Gohagen had committed another rape and murder and was connected to a broader pattern of sexual assaults against women during the same period. The Michigan Innocence Clinic, the Cooley Law School Innocence Project, and the Michigan Attorney General’s Conviction Integrity Unit reinvestigated the case. Their review uncovered evidence further undermining Gohagen’s account, including new witnesses supporting George’s alibi and questions about a polygraph examination previously used to support Gohagen’s credibility. In March 2022, the state joined the brothers’ attorneys in requesting that their convictions be vacated. All charges were dismissed, and Melvin was released after spending more than 24 years wrongfully incarcerated. (National Registry of Exonerations)