Exonerated After Decades Behind Bars, Lamonte McIntyre Never Lost Hope For Justice

By Brian Ellison,

Published October 20, 2017 at 2:06 PM CDT

While his legal team built a case to get him out of prison, Lamonte McIntyre focused on staying mentally healthy. "The only thing ... anyone who was out there working on my behalf wanted me to do was just remain cool, remain calm and stay out of trouble."

After spending 23 years incarcerated for a crime he didn't commit, Lamonte McIntyre has spent the last week getting used to being a free man. Today, we ask McIntyre, his mother Rosie McIntyre, and one of his attorneys, Cheryl Pilate, about the crime he was wrongly convicted of, the court fight that finally liberated him, and how he moved through the anger and frustration he initially developed behind bars.

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Brian Ellison

As a host and contributor at KCUR, I seek to create a more informed citizenry and richer community. I want to enlighten and inspire our audience by delivering the information they need with accuracy and urgency, clarifying what’s complicated and teasing out the complexities of what seems simple. I work to craft conversations that reveal realities in our midst and model civil discourse in a divided world. Follow me on Twitter @ptsbrian or email me at brian@kcur.org.

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Luke X. Martin

As culture editor, I help you embrace what makes Kansas City fun and vibrant, whether it’s a championship sports franchise or a little-known wonder. I work with reporters to ensure KCUR stories on art, culture, and race fully reflect our diverse home so readers and listeners can take full advantage of what the metro has to offer. Email me at luke@kcur.org.

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