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Darryl Burton and Lamonte McIntyre spent decades in prison. Now they help other exonerees

Darryl Burton (left) and Lamonte McIntyre (right) both spend over two decades in prison for murders they didn't commit.
Miracle of Innocence
Darryl Burton (left) and Lamonte McIntyre (right) both spend over two decades in prison for murders they didn't commit.

In recent years, exonerees Darryl Burton and Lamonte McIntyre have worked to help other people who have been wrongfully convicted through their nonprofit, Miracle of Innocence. They joined Up To Date to discuss the latest on the organization, Burton's new book and the death of disgraced Kansas City, Kansas, police detective Roger Golubski.

In 1984, Darryl Burton was put in prison for a St. Louis murder that he didn’t commit. He was exonerated in 2008 after 24 years in prison. Lamonte McIntyre was wrongfully convicted of a Kansas City, Kansas, double homicide in 1994 and spent 23 years in prison until his exoneration in 2017.

Together, they're the co-founders of the organization Miracle of Innocence, which aims to help free innocent people and care for exonerees as they transition back into being members of society.

Burton is also out now with his new memoir on his wrongful conviction titled "Innocent: A Second Look."

"I just think that people can really look at and read this book and get some insights as to what it's like to be incarcerated for something you didn't do," Burton said.

"(Being in prison) is like trying to navigate through what I call 'human land mines' because anybody can snap and do something to you without provocation, without confrontation, it doesn't matter."

  • Lamonte McIntyre, exoneree
  • Darryl Burton, exoneree
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When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
As Up To Date’s senior producer, I want to pique the curiosity of Kansas Citians and help them understand the world around them. Each day, I construct conversations with our city’s most innovative visionaries and creatives, while striving to hold elected officials accountable and amplifying the voices of everyday Kansas Citians. Email me at zach@kcur.org.
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