In the fall, after signing with Eastern Michigan, Kelley told The News, "I feel like I'm a 19-year-old kid again.". He had proposed to her in 2017 just a day after a Texas judge ordered to vacate his conviction, KXAN reported at the time. The legal team also filed documents naming an alternate suspect, Johnathan McCarty. Early on, as soon as his name was out there, the case was taken up in the court of public opinion by child welfare activistsand the Internet took it from there. Court documents filed by Hamptonin December 2018 stated that they also had athird suspect, whose name was not made public,who hada prior arrest on a charge of indecency with a child and had also lived in the home where the abuseallegedly took place. ", He added, "The heartache and division it has created in our town is something that should never happen. "And he's never said anything but Greg and he said it under oath. Hills, who trains NFL players including Earl Thomas III and Landon Collins, said he was blown away by what he saw after he initially offered Kelley a chance to work out with him as a favor after following his case in the local news. Kelley, who signed last year to play football at Eastern Michigan, entered the transfer portal earlier this week. All the while, he insisted he was innocent. ", But though Kelley is committed to holding the parties he feels are responsible for damaging his life"financially, emotionally, mentally, physically"accountable, he told E! He told Oxygen.comthat the prosecutors' office didn't get "any legal blame in any of this," which he said was unfair. There was no way he was going to get convicted on the evidence they didn't have. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. His case gained popularity thanks to "Outcry," a five-hour Showtime documentary series released in July that focuses on his conviction and the six-year attempt to overturn it. Support local journalism, and subscribe here. All rights reserved. Support local journalism, and subscribe here. It's testimony, so how does a prosecutor overcome that? Greg Kelley, a former Texas high school football player who had his 2014 conviction in a child sexual assault case overturned due to a faulty investigation, will play He was convicted and sentenced the following year. The crime? Not everybody gets that. Dick, Kelley's case"clearly was the perfect storm of all aspects of the criminal justice system failing," Dick, Dick said he would not have even tried Kelley if he was in office at the time, noting that there was not enough evidence to prosecute in his view. Based on the boys outcry, the police suspected that the incident occurred on July 12. WebKelly Gregg was born on November 1, 1976. It unfolds with astonishing and incomprehensible details of how poorly the case was handled by the district attorneys office and police department and relies heavily on the support that rose up around for the accused. Schumann returning to Georgia. ", He calls his wife, Gaebri Anderson, "totally unreal," adding, "I don't think there's a woman out there that can compare to the amount of heart and faith she hasI would be a damn fool to ever try to let that go. Give me a shot.' The Most Shocking Crimes Covered on E! ", The Unanswered Questions of Unsolved Mysteries' Rey Rivera Episode. "This particular child said Greg," he acknowledged. She continued, "I had no doubt in my mind. He made the announcement on an Instagram post uploaded on Saturday. ", Shawn Dicktold reporters a few weeks later, "Wewere able at least to get to the truth of whether or not Greg Kelley should have been convicted and whether or not the trial was held appropriately. True Hollywood Story Through the Years, In early November, when the appellate court agreed Kelley's conviction should be overturned, Hampton told reporters that prosecuting someone else for the crime would be a tricky case no matter what. The couplemarried in January 2019. His story was the subject of the hit Showtime documentary, "Outcry," which Eastern Michigan officials watched before signing off on the scholarship offer. As he works on putting his world back together, buoyed by his faith and all the lovein his life(including from his now-wife Gaebri Anderson, thehigh school girlfriend who stuck by him throughouthisordeal), he's alsosuing thecity of Cedar Park, formerPolice Chief Sean Mannix and Sgt. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. She maintained in 2017 that the defense she went witharguing that no abuse had occurredwas her best available option at the time based on the evidence. WebGreg Kelley (28) Defensive Back - EMU: 2021: Part of EMUs 2021 signing class after practicing with EMU during the 2020 season2020: Did not see any game action, Greg 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. His new attorney,Keith Hampton, filed multiple motions, alleging thatthe police investigation was shoddy and that Kelley wasn't properly represented at trial. Kelley started playing varsity footballat Leander High School in Texaswhere high school football on Friday rivals church on Sunday as a religiouspracticewhen he was a sophomore. Kelley fought the charges but was convicted in 2014 of two counts of super aggravated sexual assault and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Mid-American Conference presidents are expected to vote Friday on whether to reinstate a fall season, or continue moving forward with a spring season. Kelley was enrolled at Texas and was preparing to try to walk on the football team, but right as that was about to happen, COVID-19 hit, and Texas halted the walk-on Kelley was arrested his senior year of high school in 2013 for allegations of sexual abusing a 4-year-old child. As of now, the Big 12 hasn't canceled football season due to COVID-19, unlike some of the other major college football conferences. His new attorney,Keith Hampton, filed multiple motions, alleging thatthe police investigation was shoddy and that Kelley wasn't properly represented at trial. Greg Kelley, a former Texas high school football player who was legally exonerated last November following a wrongful conviction in 2014 in a child sexual assault case, has signed with Eastern Michigan on a football scholarship. A second boy also came forward but later recanted his accusation against Kelley. It gave me a little bit more hope. Kelley was accused of sexually molesting two boys. "You really start looking at Greg and realize not only can this kid move well, he'll probably play on Saturdays at a big-time program. In thedocuseries, child testimony expert Dr. Kamala London points out that investigators' interviewing techniques were flawed:the kids were asked leading questions. We weren't really scared going into the trial. Binge These True Crime Shows and Documentaries, He was convicted in 2014 of super-aggravated assault on a child and sentenced to 25 years in prison. "Still to this day, it doesn't get easier," Kelley told E! "And he's never said anything but Greg and he said it under oath. 6-keys: media/spln/collegefootball/reg/free/stories, at News. "So I want to explore that, I want to be given an opportunity to go and show these coaches like, 'Hey, I can continue to play, I've got tons of heart. Earning money proved tough while he was still a convicted felon, so he saved up for a ring doing yard work and other odd jobs. Neathery recruited Kelley to UTSA, as its defensive coordinator. However, he did not see any game action last season. It really does. In July 2014, Greg went to trial on two counts of indecency with a child and two counts of super aggravated sexual assault. I knew what kind of person he was. [1] Kelley was sentenced to 25 years in prison with no possibility for parole. But even in the middle of the nightmare, he found bright spots. Its been hard to just even live everyday life with the fear of being torn away from my family. His name wasn't cleared yet, but the young man was feeling hopeful. WebGet the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about defensive back Greg Kelley on ESPN. Kelley hasn't played a football game since his junior year of high school in Leander, Texas, in 2013. By Gina Tron Greg Kelley's Sex Assault Case Between Kelley, his family and his fiance, the tears wereflowing. "Picked up my long overdue high school diploma yesterday at Leander High School," he wrote on Instagram. Just last week he showed off the high school diploma he finally had a chance to go and get in person. As "Outcry" points out, McCarty's initial lawyer was close friends with the McCarty family and she declined to look at himas a potential subject. Kelley enrolled at the University of Texas in January with the hope of walking on with the Longhorns. Not everybody who gets falsely accused ever gets to see the other side of justice. [8], The Guardian said, "It was a rollercoaster" and the most surprising docuseries of the summer. It gave me a little bit more hope. Having previously maintained that he conducted a thorough investigation in the Kelley case, Dailey had yet to comment. "Imagine not being able to kiss or hug the person you love. Kelley had spent time living in the home of a family that also used the home as a daycare business in 2013. wife Gaebri, who supported him throughout the whole ordeal, before his conviction was officially vacated while she attended the Broadway Dance Center. He tried to walk on to the Texas Longhorns in the beginning of 2017, but was told the team was not taking walk-ons that season. He's currently enrolled as a student atthe University of Texas at Austin,KVUEreports. That's how Eastern Michigan's newest football recruit, Greg Kelley, chooses to look at life these days, after an eight-year, nationally publicized saga that saw the one-time top-shelf Texas high-school football star wrongfully convicted for child sexual assault and spend three-and-a-half years in prison. Unfortunately, we were unable to get to the ultimate answer of what happened to the child. As a junior at Leander High School, Kelley was offered a scholarship to UTSA by Neal Neathery, the Roadrunners defensive coordinator on the staff of then-head coach Larry Coker. Greg Kelley went from a football hero to a wrongfully convicted sex offendersentenced to25 yearswithout parole. 2023 E! As "Outcry" points out, McCarty's initial lawyer was close friends with the McCarty family and she declined to look at himas a potential subject. Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops says transfer QB Devin Leary, who had season-ending surgery in 2022 for a pectoral injury, is "close to full go" for the Wildcats. Separate from his own civil suit, Kelley is also eligible toreceive as much as $250,000 through the state'sWrongful Incarceration Act, according to his attorney. [5], Rotten Tomatoes favorably rates Outcry 89% from 9 critics and 93% from 15 users,[6] while the Internet Movie Database rates it 8.4/10 from 690 users. News, "hate is a virus and I have to realign myself with what my purpose needs to be, every time I wake up. I hit the jackpot. And so, finally unafraid and willing to move on in life, he enrolled in UT Austin, a public university in Austin, Texas, where he is majoring in Kinesiology and Health Education. That commitment came during Kelley's junior year of high school. Shama McCarty, Johnathan's mother, ran an in-home daycare, the scene of the alleged sexual assault. In support of Kelley, a supporting groundswell emerged that called into question the small-town police force, their investigation, the prosecution's tactics, and ultimately the validity of the conviction[2] in one of the most controversial cases the county had ever seen. Greg plans on following his dreams of getting back into playing football with the hopes that one day he can have the opportunity to play for other teams. I played at Texas, and athletically, GK fits in as a scholarship player - not just a walk-on.". There was no way he was going to get convicted on the evidence they didn't have. He was arrested during his senior year based on a sexual abuse allegation by a 4-year-old child in an in-home day care at a home where Kelley was staying with a friend and his family. Kelley was released on bond in 2017, with his attorney filing that another man had admitted to the crimes and evidence showing there were many faults in the investigation -- the kids who accused him of the crimes were never shown photographs to confirm Kelley's identity, for example. Kelley asked his future father-in-law for his daughter's hand in marriage while he was still locked upbut he didn't propose until after he was out. "I've gotta continue to live life.". Almost two years later, the appeals court agreed, sent their decision back to the district court to formally dismiss the indictment, and King declared an emotional Kelley "formally exonerated.". Saying things they can't and they won't take back and, still to this day, I continue to get persecuted, and it breaks my heart. "It's what I love. All the while, he insisted he was innocent. Before his arrest, Kelley was committed to playing college ball at Texas-San Antonio. She is a former NFL cheerleader who currently works as a professional Dancer & Choreographer. Outcry is a 2020 documentary mini-series written and directed by Pat Kondelis, about the real-life story of high school football star Greg Kelley, who was arrested, convicted and jailed for sexual assault of a 4-year-old boy, as well as his support system that pushed back in their quest for truth and justice. But he's also busy simply enjoying his freedom. This was not a situation where we felt sorry for him. It was definitely hard. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Binge These True Crime Shows and Documentaries, Why Alonzo Brooks' Death Needed Further Investigationand Not Just From. "This particular child said Greg," he acknowledged. Agirlhadaccused him of drugging and assaulting her at a frat party in 2015, when she was 15 and he was 18.). She maintained in 2017 that the defense she went witharguing that no abuse had occurredwas her best available option at the time based on the evidence. He had been fighting to overturn his conviction ever since it was handed down, but the campaign really picked up steam when Shawn Dick, a newly elected Williamson County district attorney, reopened the case. Kelley, a safety, was verbally committed to play football at Texas-San Antonio before his arrest and wrongful conviction. Kelley's case dates back to 2013, when he was a standout football player in Leander, Texas, who was committed to UTSA. News. Brydon said. The legal team also filed documents naming an alternate suspect, Johnathan McCarty. [E]ven though I didn't technically have a senior year as a normal high school student, the past is the past and the future is limitless. The state of Texas isn't known for revisiting criminal convictions, yet his was thrown out. I want to be free. Despite performing well, the program wasnt accepting walk-ons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a teenager, his high school football hero status and promising future quickly evaporated when he was falsely accused of being a child molester. And after Shawn Dick took office in 2016 and became the Williamson County district attorney, even the prosecutor's office sided with Kelley and his supporters. News. But, he added, "I want justice." Kelley wrote her letters with drawings of hearts all over themfrom prison. Brydon told Oxygen.comthat the Kelleys have sincemoved back to the Cedar Park area following their wedding. A few days after the arrest, another child came forward and said that he too was forced to indulge in sexual acts, however, he later recanted. Fortunately, Greg has been able to look forward in life. What I found was the fact that Greg Kelley was a star high school football player in Texas worked as a double-edged sword for him. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest on your team today. He said he has given Kelley some office space on his property for Kelley's new endeavor acompany calledTomahawkTargets,which makes customaxe throwing boardsand corn hole sets. "The physical was taken away from us," Gaebri, a cheerleader in high school who now teaches at a dance studio near Cedar Park, told thePost. Kelley's friend's parents owned an in-home daycare. Kelley's case is the subject of "Outcry," a five-hour Showtime documentary series released in July that focuses on his conviction and the six-year attempt to overturn it. Together the couple resides in Texas, but they also move around to New York and Los Angeles from time to time. ", And when he was convicted, Kelley recalled, "a groundswell of support from above started coming up and people started having my back. "Hes doing very well. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. All Rights Reserved. Kelley is also continuing with his education. "Trying to go recreate a case involving small children years later, memories fade, change and its just almost impossible to go back and actually do justice in that case," he continued, explaining how a flawed prosecution can rob victims of true justice. According to the lawsuit filed in May and obtained by the Austin American-Statesman, Kelley alleges that Daileydid not verify Kelley's location the day of the assault, did not investigate other suspects, falsified information about when the assault happened and deleted emails about the case. Agirlhadaccused him of drugging and assaulting her at a frat party in 2015, when she was 15 and he was 18.). Kelley's case"clearly was the perfect storm of all aspects of the criminal justice system failing," Dick told Oxygen.com. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. [7] Metacritic rates Outcry 78% from 5 critics. Now 25, Kelley has worked since his conviction to clear his name in hopes of fulfilling a dream of playing college football. "I've got this opportunity to seize to play football," Kelley told ESPN in February. Was innocent for parole of fulfilling a dream of playing college football Metacritic outcry..., stats, videos, highlights and more about defensive back Greg Kelley 's junior year of high,! It has created in our town is something that should never happen following wedding... Post uploaded on Saturday but Greg and he was innocent and his fiance, the Questions. Simply enjoying his freedom a former NFL cheerleader who currently works as a Dancer! 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