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Edward Ates is a man from Texas who was convicted of the murder of his neighbor, Elnora Griffin, in 1998 and spent 20 years in prison before being paroled in 2018. He has consistently maintained his innocence. **Early Life and Crime** * Ates grew up in the country and loved basketball, playing for his high school team. His aspirations for college basketball did not pan out due to "off-the-court issues." * In 1993, Elnora Griffin, his neighbor, was found stabbed to death. Ates, who worked as her handyman, was arrested and charged with the murder. There was no physical evidence tying him to the crime scene, but an inconsistency in his alibi led to his arrest. * He was first tried in 1996, which resulted in a hung jury. * In a second trial in 1998, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. The conviction was based on the testimony of a fellow inmate, Kenneth Snow, who claimed Ates confessed to the crime. Snow's testimony was added to the evidence from the first trial, which included a prior misdemeanor theft conviction from Ates's teenage years. * Ates entered prison in 1998, leaving behind his wife, Kim, a daughter, Kyra, and a son, Zach, who was born five months later. **Life in Prison and Release** * Ates spent 20 years in prison, where he relied on basketball as a way to cope with the mental and emotional toll of his confinement. He missed out on seeing his children grow up and was unable to grieve with his family when his grandmother and mother passed away. * His case was brought to the public's attention by the "Truth & Justice" podcast in 2016, which led to the Innocence Project of Texas taking on his case. * In 2018, with the support of his family, the Innocence Project, and the podcast's listeners, Ates was granted parole and released after serving 20 years of his sentence. **Life After Prison** * Since his release, Ates has been working for the City of Dallas and living with his wife, Kim, in Cedar Hill, Texas. * He continues to maintain his innocence and the Innocence Project of Texas is still working to get him fully exonerated. While parole released him from prison, it is not a legal declaration of innocence. * Ates has been sharing his story with high school students, particularly basketball teams, to deliver a message about cherishing life and making the right choices.
