For more than 20 years, Curtis McCarty lived a nightmare, and from 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, in Wichita State University's Hubbard Hall, Room 208, he will share his story: "Innocent and on Death Row."

He was barely an adult when it happened – a girl McCarty knew was brutally assaulted and murdered, but when police investigators turned up no leads, they charged him with the crime. The forensic evidence used to convict him was tampered with by a crime lab specialist, a truth that was only discovered after McCary lost two decades of his life to an underground, 9 foot x 9 foot cell.

McCarty uses his experiences to advocate for change in the justice system by sharing his story with school and church groups, the media, legislative settings, rallies and civic and professional organizations. His message is a call for humane and just alternatives to the death penalty. McCarty is one of 146 individuals nationwide who have been exonerated from death row since 1973.

"Innocent and on Death Row: A Talk by Death Row Exoneree Curtis McCarty" is sponsored by the WSU Criminal Justice Student Association and the Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty. The event is free and open to the public.