Who is Dennis Fritz from the nonfiction book, The Innocent Man?

Dennis Fritz was falsely convicted for the murder of Debbie Carter. Dennis Fritz lived in Ada at the time of Debbie’s murder. The police, working under the baseless assumption that two people were responsible for Debbie Carter’s death, named Fritz as a suspect, despite the complete lack of any evidence linking Fritz to the crime. The police had already named Ron Williamson as a suspect (also with no evidence) and they decided to name Fritz as a suspect simply because he was friends with Ron. The police harassed Fritz and even got him fired from his job as a science teacher. The police eventually arrested Fritz after coercing a false confession from him.

Fritz was put on trial and was found guilty despite a complete lack of valid evidence. Fritz was sentenced to life in prison. While in prison, he studied law books to prepare for a court appeal of his conviction. Eventually, in 1999, DNA evidence exonerated Fritz from the crime. Fritz and Ron sued the police and courts, and they were given large financial settlements. Fritz moved to Kansas City to live with family there, live a quiet life, and undergo treatment for the PTSD he suffered as a result of his ordeal.