Criminology Club Welcomes Death Row Exoneree Debra Milke

This week marked an unforgettable start to our Criminology Club with a special guest session led by Debra Milke, a death row exoneree whose story left a lasting impression on everyone present.

In 1990, Debra was sentenced to death in Arizona, USA, for the alleged murder of her four-year-old son—a crime she did not commit. She spent 22 years on death row before her conviction was overturned by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2013. The court ruled that key evidence undermining the credibility of the detective who claimed she had confessed had been withheld. All charges were finally dismissed in 2015, and Debra was fully exonerated.

During her talk, Debra spoke with remarkable courage and honesty about her experience of wrongful imprisonment, the emotional toll of life on death row, and the importance of justice reform. She also shared insights from her work with Witness to Innocence, a charity that empowers other death row survivors to speak out against miscarriages of justice.

Students and staff were captivated by her strength and resilience, gaining a powerful perspective on the human side of the justice system and the importance of truth, fairness and compassion in law.

The session set an inspiring tone for the Criminology Club’s future discussions, reminding us that understanding crime and justice begins with empathy and a commitment to learn from real-world experiences.