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Nov 26, 2009 8:51 pm US/Central
Exoneree Celebrates Day With Woman Who Freed Him
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Chris Scott remembers how he felt last Thanksgiving, as he served time in prison for a murder he did not commit.
"I saw many Thanksgivings locked up, and each year got harder and harder," Scott said. "You're feeling sad through the holidays because you're not with your family."
On this Thanksgiving, though, he is surrounded by friends, who have become more like family.
"With Chris, he's more like a brother," said Natalie Ellis, a criminal justice student at UT-Arlington. She works with the Innocence Network and spent months on Scott's case.
Scott and another man, Claude Simmons Jr., were convicted in the murder of Alfonso Aguilar in 1997, despite evidence they were innocent. After almost 13 years in prison, Scott was released last month.
Ellis and her family hosted Thanksgiving Dinner for Scott and another exoneree, Steven Phillips. She says this gathering gives her hope that other innocent people will also be freed.
"It's like an overwhelming feeling of happiness, but at the same time you think of all the other ones. Right now, I've got 20-30 cases piling up and I think about them," she said.
But, Ellis is also thankful for the bond she and Scott share.
"I feel like no matter what, we're going to be connected one way or another," she said.
And, Scott said, he's grateful for his freedom.
"It's a lot to be thankful for."
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