Victory in Elkhart: Reggie Dillard’s 27-Year Fight for Truth

On February 23, Reginald “Reggie” Dillard walked out of prison a free man, ending 27 years of wrongful imprisonment. Reggie was convicted of a 1998 Elkhart murder based on an investigation that the Notre Dame Exoneration Justice Clinic (EJC) proved was built on systemic misconduct.

The EJC’s investigation revealed that a former Elkhart detective fabricated witness statements and maintained an undisclosed relationship with a key witness. After years of litigation, including a request to the Indiana Supreme Court for an impartial judge, a Special Prosecutor acknowledged these constitutional violations. On February 19, the court vacated Reggie’s conviction, and the State dismissed all charges the following morning.

Reggie’s exoneration is the EJC’s fourth success and a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit. As Reggie shared upon his release: “There was a time when I was the voiceless, and now I’ve become a voice for the voiceless.”