He lived in New York City for a little while before that. He had been fighting to overturn his conviction ever since it was handed down, but the campaign really picked up steam when Shawn Dick, a newly elected Williamson County district attorney, reopened the case. Weeks later, a new judge in the Texas district court where Kelley was originally convicted held a hearing and said, "I declare you innocent, and you are fully exonerated.". He finally was exonerated by Texas' court of appeals in November, and signed to play football with Eastern Michigan last week. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned Kelley's conviction last November, writing that "the system failed him, for it convicted an innocent man." Kelley was accused by a 4-year-old boy of sexually molesting him, even though some of the boys testimony pointed to another person living in the house - Johnathan McCarty - who was a couple of years younger than Kelley but had a striking resemblance to Kelley. "And he's never said anything but Greg and he said it under oath. His name wasn't cleared yet, but the young man was feeling hopeful. Greg plans on following his dreams of getting back into playing football with the hopes that one day he can have the opportunity to play for other teams. "I just call myself blessed," said Kelley, who was so adamant about his innocence from the beginning that he refused to sign a plea deal that could've kept him out of prison, and despite his mother's pleas to take it. It really does. Wrongly convicted former Leander safety Greg Kelley has entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal again, more than seven years after the former Texas high-school standout lost a scholarship opportunity at UTSA by being falsely imprisoned. Kelley was arrested his senior year of high school in 2013 for allegations of sexual abusing a 4-year-old child. I hit the jackpot. And so, finally unafraid and willing to move on in life, he enrolled in UT Austin, a public university in Austin, Texas, where he is majoring in Kinesiology and Health Education. In thedocuseries, child testimony expert Dr. Kamala London points out that investigators' interviewing techniques were flawed:the kids were asked leading questions. There were still chains hanging off of me. She is a former NFL cheerleader who currently works as a professional Dancer & Choreographer. His name wasn't cleared yet, but the young man was feeling hopeful. Christopher Dailey, who was the lead investigator on his case. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. We had to fall in love with each other's hearts through these letters.". "I want to give back," he said. They're holding off on having kids though, Anderson said, so that her husband can focus on school. Will he ever get to play football again? News, "hate is a virus and I have to realign myself with what my purpose needs to be, every time I wake up. And I believe you should do the thing that makes you happy and gives you peace. "So I want to explore that, I want to be given an opportunity to go and show these coaches like, 'Hey, I can continue to play, I've got tons of heart. Separate from his own civil suit, Kelley is also eligible toreceive as much as $250,000 through the state'sWrongful Incarceration Act, according to his attorney. Two years later, in late 2019, Greg was finally exonerated with the belief that he is actually innocent of committing the offense., https://www.instagram.com/p/B4kczM4hmvk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link, In 2017, Greg Kelley was free, yes, but somehow, it felt the opposite for him. Kelley signed with Eastern because of a prior relationship with defensive coordinator Neal Neathery, who got Kelley to commit to Texas-San Antonio when he was on the staff there. Who Is Greg Kelley? I said it in the documentary, Hills said. Because the child was so small, they moved forwarded immediately and arrested Greg Kelley, the only known Greg who had been at that house. Not everybody gets that. Greg Kelley went from a football hero to a wrongfully convicted sex offender sentenced to 25 years without parole. Christopher Dailey, who was the lead investigator on his case. The handsome young Texas football star seemingly had a "Football is a love of mine, something that I feel like has been given to me to love and to cherish and to experience," he told E! [E]ven though I didn't technically have a senior year as a normal high school student, the past is the past and the future is limitless. As of now, the Big 12 hasn't canceled football season due to COVID-19, unlike some of the other major college football conferences. He was released on bond in 2017 when Shawn Dick, a newly elected Williamson County district attorney, reopened Kelley's case based on evidence from an appellate lawyer and a subsequent investigation by the Texas Rangers that found fault with the investigation. They both may have had too much confidence in the system, but at least in the end, her faith and trust in Greg was not misplaced. "You had no idea who I was after my conviction," Kelley saidin court on the day of his exoneration. What I found was the fact that Greg Kelley was a star high school football player in Texas worked as a double-edged sword for him. Almost two years later, the appeals court agreed, sent their decision back to the district court to formally dismiss the indictment, and King declared an emotional Kelley "formally exonerated.". But if anyone has the patience and strength to wait it out a bit longer, it's Kelley. Get the fastest scores, stats, news, LIVE videos, and more. Former Georgia star Jalen Carter, one of the top prospects in next month's NFL draft, has been charged with reckless driving and racing in conjunction with the crash that killed a teammate and a recruiting staff member. But even in the middle of the nightmare, he found bright spots. Kelley had publicly expressed his hope that Dailey and Mannix would be fired, telling reporters outsideBurnet City Hall,"The reason why we wanted this to happen guys is because it's not about me, it's about the next person. In 2013, Greg Kelley, a high school football star, was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a four-year-old. "Hes a young inspiring entrepreneur," Brydon told, Hes doing very well. There has not been another arrest in connection with Kelley's case specifically, though McCarty has been arrested and later convicted for other sex crimes. Kelly Gregg weighed 320 lbs (145 kg) when playing. Exonerated Kelley, 25, will play for E. Michigan, Breaking down the latest in 2024 football recruiting, from top commits to March visits, The Turnover Luck Index: Rating every 2022 team, from USC to Rutgers, ACC boss: Rule changes backed by FBS leaders, Stoops: QB Leary (pec) 'close to full go' for UK, Hall of Fame coach Ault named to CFP committee, Top draft prospect Carter charged in fatal crash, New NCAA president readies for NIL, legal issues, Ex-Vols staffers agree to show-cause penalties, UNC hires ex-Browns HC Kitchens as assistant, Kiper's updated NFL mock draft: Who's moving up for a QB? Hes living the American dream. (In an unrelated case, Johnathan was sentenced to four years in prison last yearafter pleadingguilty to unlawful restraint and drug charges. He was unable to definitively conclude who the perpetrator was, but he had three suspects: Kelley, Johnathan McCarty and an unnamed third person. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. wife Gaebri, who supported him throughout the whole ordeal, before his conviction was officially vacated while she attended the Broadway Dance Center. WebGet the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about defensive back Greg Kelley on ESPN. No other WebA five-part documentary series examining the gripping story of high school football star Greg Kelley who was arrested, convicted and jailed for sexual assault of a 4-year-old Texas Ranger Cody Mitchell, tasked with leading the new investigation in 2017, testified that August that he had determined that the Cedar Park Police had botched the original investigation. [9], The Hollywood Reporter said it was, "An effectively indignation-inducing true crime tale. Still, none of that changesthat he spent almost seven years, including three behind bars, with a cloud ofguilt hanging over his head. That summer, a 4-year-old boy who attended the McCarty daycare accused Kelley of molesting him. Hes a productive member of society.". [5], Rotten Tomatoes favorably rates Outcry 89% from 9 critics and 93% from 15 users,[6] while the Internet Movie Database rates it 8.4/10 from 690 users. Shama McCarty, Johnathan's mother, ran an in-home daycare, the scene of the alleged sexual assault. According to the lawsuit filed in May and obtained by the Austin American-Statesman, Kelley alleges that Daileydid not verify Kelley's location the day of the assault, did not investigate other suspects, falsified information about when the assault happened and deleted emails about the case. section: | slug: greg-kelley-to-play-football-at-eastern-michigan-after-wrongful-child-sex-crime-conviction-was-overturned | sport: collegefootball | route: article_single.us | Kelley was accused of sexually molesting two boys. I knew what kind of person he was. I had friends since I was a baby who were saying, 'I can't believe you are sticking by him.' "But that's not the reason we gave him a scholarship. A judge recommended to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals that Kelleys conviction be vacated in 2017 after a long and difficult battle from Kelley's supporters, according to theNational Registry of Exonerations. She maintained in 2017 that the defense she went witharguing that no abuse had occurredwas her best available option at the time based on the evidence. Kelley, whose story is told in the Stan docuseries Outcry, was just 17 when the accusations were made. ", Catch Justin Sylvester's interview with Greg Kelley on the Aug. 19 episode of E! Chip Brown of Horns247 contributed to this story. In 2013, in the sprawling Texas suburbs of Leander, north of Austin, a standout high school football star by the name of Greg Kelley was charged for the sexual assault of two children, under the age of 5, who attended the daycare in the home where he was living. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Kelley has since received a wrongful-conviction settlement from the state of Texas, and is suing the police department that targeted him from the beginning and never looked at other suspects. Three trades in a chaotic top five, The new law changing service academy football, and the coaches pushing back, Realignment chatter: How the Pac-12 holds the key to it all. It's crazy! Though he may be 25, there's some belief that he could make a legitimate impact on the field. Its been hard for me to hold a job, pass a background check. He made friends on the inside whom he keeps in touch with daily, and he said he intends to start a prison ministry to help people serious about turning their life around. Kelley, 25, attempted to walk-on at Texas ahead of the 2020 campaign. They tied the knot in Austin this past January. "He is an awesome young man," Creighton told The News on Tuesday. And once he was convicted, those who had assumed he was guilty figured they were merely being proved right. It gave me a little bit more hope. He debated whether to continue pursuing football or moving on in life, but ultimately decided to stick with it. We wanted to make sure that this guy did not want to come right next door to y'all's town, because I know you guys love your town just like we love ours, and do this to somebody else. This was an actual ballplayer.". Texas is my dream school, Kelley told Horns247. Before his arrest, Kelley was committed to playing college ball at Texas-San Antonio. All the while, he insisted he was innocent. He was convicted a year later and sentenced for 25 years without possibility of parole. I've done everything I possibly can to show you that I didn't do this.". "Me and my family, that nightmare that we went through, is something I don't wish on my worst enemy. He's won titles and has now coached the Lancers to 741 victories. Kelley, 26, was officially part of the Eastern Michigan's 2021 signing class, and played in the Eagles' spring game April 16, recording an interception. However, he did not see any game action last season. [1] Kelley was sentenced to 25 years in prison with no possibility for parole. "I know that these past six years I had to prove myself to save my life so I can prove myself that I can play ball," he said. On June 11, Greg moved back to his place, but more than a month later, a woman came forward and told the authorities that her son said that Greg had assaulted him. Former Texas running back Jeremy Hills, a trainer with clients including Earl Thomas III and Landon Collins, has been training Kelley since he moved back to Austin last fall. "This particular child said Greg," he acknowledged. "I am excited to announce that I have been offered a D1 full ride scholarship to play football for [Eastern Michigan]!!" Kelley's friend's parents owned an in-home daycare. Leander, TX. The former high school football star, whose story was just told in the Showtime documentary seriesOutcry, spent three years in prison for a crime he didn't commit and, even after his release in 2017, he was only formally exonerated this past November. ", But though Kelley is committed to holding the parties he feels are responsible for damaging his life"financially, emotionally, mentally, physically"accountable, he told E! But there are no assurances, especially now in a global pandemic that might put the college football season in jeopardy. "Picked up my long overdue high school diploma yesterday at Leander High School," he wrote on Instagram. I've done everything I possibly can to show you that I didn't do this.". The efforts of activist Jake Braydon and the legal work of defense lawyer, After getting out of prison in 2017, a friend of Kelley's convinced former Longhorns' running back, , who is now an elite performance coach to NFL players such as. The couplemarried in January 2019. ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Between Kelley, his family and his fiance, the tears wereflowing. I didn't expect any of that. Kelley was accepted at the University of Texas and, after getting a walk-on tryout this spring, hopes toplay for theLonghorns. News. Almost two years later, the appeals court agreed, sent their decision back to the district court to formally dismiss the indictment, and King declared an emotional Kelley "formally exonerated.". "[10], Michael Morton, who was mentioned in Outcry as also having been wrongfully convicted, expressed that the way the prosecutors are being presented in Outcry is problematic. We actually had a trip planned for the next day.". But, he added, "I want justice." "It breaks my family's heart because I don't deserve that, they don't deserve that. Early on, as soon as his name was out there, the case was taken up in the court of public opinion by child welfare activistsand the Internet took it from there. Still, none of that changesthat he spent almost seven years, including three behind bars, with a cloud ofguilt hanging over his head. News. Before he was incarcerated, he was verbally committed to play safety for the University of Texas at San Antonios football team, which meant that he had to have been really good. 'sJust the Sip, available wherever you get your podcasts, Why Alonzo Brooks' Death Needed Further Investigationand Not Just From, 'Mandalorian' star Pedro Pascal, creators on new Grogu revelations and 'Last of Us' comparisons, Saved by the bell: Contestant ordered to keep mask on, in historic 'Masked Singer' first, Chris Pine admits 'it does look' like Harry Styles spit on him but this is what actually happened, Rebel Wilson 'collapsed' after Ramona Agruma proposal: 'I was so overwhelmed', Amy Grant recalls being 'so scared' to return to touring following serious bike accident. Brydon told Oxygen.comthat the Kelleys have sincemoved back to the Cedar Park area following their wedding. That's how Eastern Michigan's newest football recruit, Greg Kelley, chooses to look at life these days, after an eight-year, nationally publicized saga that saw the one-time top-shelf Texas high-school football star wrongfully convicted for child sexual assault and spend three-and-a-half years in prison. Unfortunately, we were unable to get to the ultimate answer of what happened to the child. How much did Kelly Gregg weigh when playing? Kelley hasn't played a football game since his junior year of high school in Leander, Texas, in 2013. "You really start looking at Greg and realize not only can this kid move well, he'll probably play on Saturdays at a big-time program. NFL draft questions for teams in the top 10: Will the Colts trade up? Shortly after entering the NCAA transfer portal in September, Kessler announced that he received a full-ride scholarship to Eastern Michigan. 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