Wrongfully Convicted: Darryl Burton Spent 24 Years in Prison for a Crime He Didn’t Commit

“Leave all your hope, family, and dreams behind.” That’s the banner Darryl Burton saw when he first walked into Missouri State Penitentiary—infamously known as the “bloodiest 47 acres in America.” He was 22. He was innocent.

In this episode of Back in America, Darryl shares his extraordinary story: how a false accusation, coached jailhouse informants, and prosecutorial misconduct stole nearly 25 years of his life. With no DNA, no weapon, no motive—and no justice—Darryl was sentenced to life without parole for a crime he didn’t commit.

Thanks to the relentless efforts of Princeton, NJ, based Centurion, the pioneering innocence organization, Darryl was finally exonerated. But his story didn’t end there.

He founded Miracle of Innocence, a nonprofit helping other wrongfully convicted individuals reclaim their lives—legally, emotionally, and spiritually. As Darryl says, “It’s a miracle to get out of prison. Now, we work to create more miracles.”

Contact & Support

• Learn more or donate: www.miracleofinnocence.org  / Centurion  
• Personal site: www.darrylburton.org

Books that Inspired Darryl in Prison

• Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X
• Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
• Stride Toward Freedom by Martin Luther King Jr.
• The Bible — especially Luke 23:34: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”