As the sun set on October 27, 2026, Carl Case walked out of the front gates of the State Penitentiary of New Mexico a free man, after Judge Lisa B. Riley concluded that she had “no doubt” that Carl had proved his innocence under New Mexico's constitutional “actual innocence” standard.  Carl walked out of prison having spent over 44 years in unlawful custody, wrongly convicted of crimes he never committed.

Carl's release is the product of decades of tireless work by Carl and his legal team at Rothstein Donatelli and the New Mexico Innocence and Justice Project.  Countless attorneys and law students spent decades investigating the injustices that precipitated Carl's wrongful convictions in 1982.  Over the years they accumulated a treasure trove of exculpatory evidence and developed a strong legal case proving his innocence, one that was able to meet one of the most difficult legal standards under New Mexico law. 

Generations of Rothstein Donatelli attorneys––past and present––have worked tirelessly to exonerate Carl, and will continue to work to support him as his new life unfolds.  Carl is met in freedom by an incredible network of support as he begins this new chapter of his life. 

Congratulations to Carl, and to all who worked to correct this historical injustice – attorneys Marc Lowry, Peter Schoenburg, Clay Wilwol, April Land of the New Mexico Innocence and Justice Project, and everyone else, including the law students who contributed countless hours of investigative effort. 

Carl Case and Clay Wilwol

Carl Case and Marc Lowry