The TRAILER
The BAND
![]()
Bill Dillion was sitting in his car, having a smoke at a beach with his brother. A beach where a murder had taken place a few days prior. Bill spent 27 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.
Ted Bradford was at work on the day a rape occurred in a neighborhood close to his house. A clerical error mistakenly showed he was off that day. Ted did 9 years in prison.
Antione Day returns home one evening and finds the business card of police detective stuck in the door. A murder had taken place a few weeks earlier in which the suspect had fled in a black car. Antione owned a black car. Antione did 10 years in prison.
Eddie Lowery, a 22-year old soldier at the time, was involved in a minor traffic accident adjacent to a neighborhood where a rape had occurred several weeks earlier. Eddie did 9 years in prison and 8 years on parole - having to register as a sex offender.
Raymond Towler ran a stop sign. Just so happens, that stop sign was next to a park where three weeks earlier a girl had been raped. Raymond somewhat resembled the composite sketch of the suspect. Raymond spent 29 years in prison.
We have an opportunity to make a film that's entertaining as well as informative - shine some light on the issue of wrongful conviction - while telling a truly inspirational story. A story that resonates with a positive message for anyone that has struggled - and that's just about all of us.
These five guys are the most genuine, life-affirming, funny and resilient men I have ever met. They have all endured hardships and injustices that are hard to fathom yet they all rejoice in simply being free.
Help us make a great film about their continued journey. Let's get them on the road so they can share their music and their stories.
Statistics
The statistics concerning wrongful convictions are discouraging. You can read some here: https://www.innocenceproject.org/dna-exonerations-in-the-united-states/statistics
It's our contention that statistics do very little to illuminate an issue. It's one thing to read that witness misidentification is a major factor in wrongful convictions. It's quite another thing the hear Raymond Towler describe being pointed to by a witness and spending the next 29 years in prison.
Our mission is to put a face on the problem of wrongful conviction. To help these five men shine a much brighter light on the atrocity of wrongful convictions and to activate anyone with an ounce of empathy to help fight for justice.
Team
Jeff Marpé - Director/Executive Producer
Jeff's been working in the film business for nearly 20 years. An Emmy award-winning commercial director, Jeff has recently turned his attention to telling more compelling stories.
Jimmy Chamberlin - Executive Producer
Perhaps, best known as the drummer for the band Smashing Pumpkins. Jimmy is also a tech entrepreneur working with a wide range of companies.
Tom Denison - Executive Producer
Tom has worked with innovative startups from concept to exit. He brings his advisory and business development acumen to the Exoneree project.
The Money
Filmmaking is a somewhat expensive endeavor. We need to get the 5 members of the band together for 5 weeks while they practice, write new material and prepare for an upcoming show - and we need to film all of it.
Here's how that breaks down. ![]()
Bottom Line
We have filmed the band for over a year. We are now in a position to set them up in a practice space and have them rehearse for a potential show. We are confident that we can get some major music stars to stop in and play with them. We could use your help.
