UT Arlington Innocence Network helps free two wrongly convicted men

Natalie Ellis, who logged many hours on the case, is a junior in the criminology and criminal jurisprudence program.

ARLINGTON — A University of Texas at Arlington student has helped exonerate two men wrongly convicted of murder.

Claude Simmons and Christopher Scott were released from prison Friday with the help of Natalie Ellis, who volunteers for the UT Arlington Innocence Network. Ellis is a junior in the criminology and criminal jurisprudence program.

John Stickels, adviser for the Innocence Network and assistant professor in criminology and criminal jurisprudence at UT Arlington, says Ellis logged a lot of hours on the case.

Dallas County District Attorney and Dallas Police officials announced Wednesday that two other men had been arrested in the 1997 murder of Alfonso Aguilar. The arrests cleared the way for the exonerations of Simmons and Scott.

Officials said Don Michael Anderson has been arrested and charged with capital murder and Alonzo Hardy had been identified through the joint investigation of the Dallas County District Attorney and Dallas Police Department. A Dallas County District Attorney's news release says the reinvestigation includes an extensive confession by Hardy, detailing his and Anderson's role in the 1997 murder case.

Source: UT Arlington