Former Marine Kirk Bloodsworth spoke to McDaniel students of being wronguflly convicted of rape and murder
By Kate Delenick
A former Marine’s life changed forever on March 22, 1985. On that day, an innocent man was sentenced to death in the gas chamber. An ignorant courtroom applauded the verdict; they applauded his death.
Kirk Bloodsworth came to McDaniel College on April 17 to tell the gripping story of his fight for freedom and his road to innocence. Forensic science professor, Terry Biddinger, took a chance in e-mailing Bloodsworth.
“I never thought he’d come,” she said. In a packed Decker Auditorium, Bloodsworth spoke to a full crowd, which by night’s end, went three rows deep of standing room only.
Goosebumps could be felt and gasps could be heard among many of the audience members as he spoke of his time spent in jail for wrongfully being convicted of raping and killing nine-year-old Dawn Hamilton in 1984. He described the Baltimore prison as “Dracula’s Castle” where he lived for nine years.
“I put toilet paper in my ears so cockroaches wouldn’t lay eggs in them,” he said. “It’s the closest place to Hell I’ve ever been in my life.”
Bloodsworth spent his time in prison shouting his innocence to anyone who would listen, though no one ever did. He wrote letters to presidents and to Donald Trump. No one ever wrote back. His family though, remained behind him 100% throughout his nightmare.
Bloodsworth said he felt like, “a sheep being led to the slaughter house” when he was taken to prison. “We’re gonna get you Kirk!” the inmates would yell at him.
Naturally, after being in prison for almost a decade, things in Bloodsworth’s life changed. His mom, his “biggest fan,” died just three months before DNA proved her son’s innocence. Bloodsworth broke down when he recalled that he could only see his mother at her funeral for a mere five minutes, in handcuffs.
During his sentence, Bloodsworth remained focused on his innocence. He repeated throughout his speech, “This is my life; I have to endure.” He did what he could to pass the time, playing chess with fellow inmates and reading?a lot. He actually spent so much time in the library they eventually made him the librarian.
With much dedication, persistence, knowledge and hard-work DNA testing finally proved Kirk’s his innocence. On June 28, 1993, the Maryland Penitentiary received a call telling them they had a free man in their prison, and he needed to be released. “Free at last!” Bloodsworth yelled.
Bloodsworth spoke for over an hour, and at the end took questions from the audience. His story touched everyone in the auditorium, and he received a worthy standing ovation. He stayed afterwards to take pictures and sign his book, Bloodsworth.
Upon his request, some students from Biddinger’s forensic science class went out for dinner with him. The Larry King Live guest and two-time Oprah guest shared how excited he was to come to McDaniel and meet “the future.” By the end of dinner the students had grown to love a man who for nine years was viewed by this country as a rapist and murderer.
“He’s like an uncle to all of us now. Uncle Kirk?we felt sorry for him, but he told us to feel sorry for the justice system” said sophomore Lauren Laker, a student from the class.
Bloodsworth, now remarried and a recent homeowner for the first time in his life, is focused on getting his story out. He is the program officer for The Justice Project, which is a project based in Washington D.C. that works to get innocent people off death row and out of prison. He left the Hill with some great advice that he said his mom once told him.
“Don’t sit there like a lump on a Dill pickle?stand up for what you believe.” Thanks to Bloodsworth’s fighting message, innocent people around the country can finally “stand up.”