A Cleaveland man who was wrongly convicted in 1975 for killing his wife has died. The Cleaveland native Isaiah Andrews’ verdict was overturned in 2020, and he was declared fully innocent by the state of Ohio.
Andrews’ health was on the decline for some time, said officials. Andrews passing away on Sunday at a local hospital was confirmed by the Ohio Innocence Project.
In 1975, Andrews was arrested and charged with aggravated murder in connection with the death of his wife, Regina, while residing on Euclid Avenue.
Although he maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration and filed numerous appeals to that end, Andrews was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life behind bars.
Finally, after 45 years, Andrews’ conviction was vacated, and a new trial was ordered in May of 2020. He was acquitted of all charges by a second jury. Andrews returned to the Cuyahoga County Justice Center, this past March. This is where the state of Ohio officially declared he should not have been incarcerated and was innocent of his wife’s slaying. The real killer of his wife has never been caught.
According to the Ohio Innocence Project, Andrews suffered the third-longest imprisonment in the history of the United States. He lived in the Exoneree House in Cleveland’s suburbs, since his release. When he died, he was with a volunteer.
“Isaiah died knowing he was loved,” Kelly McLaughlin of X-Freedom Housing, partner of OIP, said in a statement. “Isaiah died knowing he was free.”
Andrews’ funeral arrangements have not been announced.
