AMERICA | 39-year-old Ryan Matthew, who was wrongly arrested and sentenced to death as a teenager, has overcome odds to find freedom and achieve success.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Applied Arts and Science from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, United States.
Ryan’s life took a heartbreaking turn in 1997 when, at just 17 years old, he was arrested for a crime he did not commit. According to CNN, a white grocery store owner had been fatally shot during a robbery, and eyewitnesses mistakenly identified Ryan as the suspect.
At the time, Ryan and a friend had only been driving in the area, in a car that resembled the one used in the crime. Despite a lack of physical evidence linking him to the scene, Ryan was put on trial.
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He maintained his innocence throughout, but his voice went unheard. The jury—made up of eleven white jurors and one black juror—found him guilty, and he was sentenced to death at the age of 19
The years that followed were marked by fear, loss, and uncertainty. But Ryan never gave up. With the unwavering support of his family and the dedication of activists who believed in his innocence, his case was reopened.
In 2004, after five long years on death row, new DNA evidence proved his innocence. “I didn’t know what was happening to me, I had nothing to do with this. But I just kind of knew this happens to innocent people,” he said.
Growing up, he always had education in the back of his mind, adding that his mother usually emphasised the importance.
“All these years ago, when I first came home, a reporter asked me what I wanted to do, and I told them I wanted to go to school. When I came home, I was 24 and I had no job history. A lot of the requirements for the jobs I had were no work experience, no schooling,” he said.
”At times, when I got on jobs, I was told I didn’t have the education requirements. That was another obstacle. So, I’m just trying to remove all the obstacles,” he added.
Moving forward and starting a new life after his time in prison was very challenging for Ryan. Shortly after being released from prison, his family was displaced because of Hurricane Katrina, which made them move closer to Denton.
Because of his case, his sister, Monique Lee-Coleman, earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Texas Woman’s University. It was Monique who motivated him to enroll at the same university.
While Ryan was in school, he also held a night job as a machine operator. He managed to establish a sleep schedule that allowed him to attend classes during the day.
His commitment eventually paid off, and in 2019, he successfully graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Applied Arts and Sciences.
Though it was not easy, Ryan remained motivated all through. Ryan’s wife, Candacee Matthews, said she watched her husband come back from 12-hour overnight shifts where he works, take their four children to school, and later sit down and study.
Ryan said it was what he needed to do as he owed it to himself and to everyone who helped get him out, including the attorneys who helped him get on his feet after he was exonerated.
“I don’t want to let the people who supported me down. I don’t want to let the lawyers down. I was blessed to get this opportunity and I don’t want to squander it,” he said.
Inspired by his story, Ryan’s 71-year-old mother, Pauline Matthews, is pursuing a degree in social work, and his sister, Monique, is working toward her doctorate at Texas Woman’s University.
“So I decided to go back and pursue my Ph.D. because hopefully, I’ll be able to do some legislative work and get some of that wrongful conviction and reintegration legislation changed,” Monique said.
Ryan plans to return to Texas Woman’s University for a Master of Business Administration, stating that he thinks a graduate degree would make him more marketable.
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