Joshua Kezer celebrates two years of freedom this week

Joshua Kezer did a lot of praying while he was imprisoned for 16 years. He still does.

Kezer, wrongly convicted of the 1992 murder of Benton, Mo., college student Angela Mischelle Lawless, read the Bible a lot and wrote in a journal, too. He watched television sometimes also, cheering on his favorite NFL team from his childhood and and teen years -- the Chicago Bears.

"Watching those games in prison I would be thinking about how nice it would be go to some games," said Kezer, who this week celebrates two years of freedom.

Kezer was exonerated of the crime by Cole County Judge Richard Callahan on Feb. 17, 2009. He was released from prison the following day.

Attending at least five Bears games this season, including a bout against the New York Jets where he acquired pregame passes, Kezer didn't have to wonder anymore what it would feel like to go to a professional football game.

"The feeling of walking onto their field. It was amazing," Kezer said. "It was a gift from a friend, too. It wasn't something I even bought for myself."

While developing friendships and growing closer with his family made up the most important moments of the last year of his life, Kezer made a life-changing decision and chose to finalize a civil suit he filed in Scott County in 2009 after his release.

Kezer reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with Scott County, former sheriff Bill Ferrell, who directed the investigation of the Lawless murder, and former deputy Brenda Schiwitz, who also played a role in the investigation, all named in the lawsuit.

Kezer recalls feeling tired at the time he settled -- he didn't want to continue the legal battle with Ferrell and Schiwitz, who he said were trying to drag it out longer.

"There are people in my life that I want in my life, and there are people that I don't want to have significance at all. Bill Ferrell and Brenda Schiwitz and the others that played a role in my arrest and prosecution are some of those people," Kezer said.

Settling wasn't about the amount but about what he felt was fair. His lawyers, he said, worked to get him the best possible outcome.

"I'm satisfied and I'm thankful," he said. "Technically, though, it's not enough. ... The cost of a man's life -- can you put a monetary value on that?"

Kezer did a lot of things in 2010 he always dreamed of doing, but mostly he said he let God guide him to what he was supposed to be doing.

"I don't have a jailhouse religion. I didn't just give my life to the Lord so I could get through prison," Kezer said. "I kind of feel like that means being actively involved and actively loving people."

He continued to do a lot of public speaking, talking mostly of his strong faith, but he also publicly supported Ryan Ferguson, a man convicted in the Halloween 2001 murder of Columbia Tribune sports editor Kent Heitholt, and Richard Clay, serving a life sentence for the 1994 murder of Randy Martindale in New Madrid County.

Both men, Kezer said, are innocent. And both were prosecuted by Kenny Hulshof, who he called out for having a pattern of misconduct associated with murder cases. Hulshof withheld evidence from Kezer's defense attorney during his trial in the 1990s.

Kezer supported Ferguson at a hearing in August at the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District, he said.

"Because I live in Columbia, the community where Ryan Ferguson was raised, where he lived, I feel it's even more necessary to be a spokesman on his behalf," Kezer said.

Days before Clay's Jan. 12 execution date and before Gov. Jay Nixon commuted his sentence, Kezer attended a hearing for the convicted murderer, choosing to intervene publicly. He donated $10,000 to Clay's defense fund, claiming his case wasn't adequately funded and the man couldn't hire proper investigators. Clay, he says, deserves a new trial, at the least.

"I believe that Richard Clay deserves a full review of his case. Once that happens, I think he'll be declared innocent," Kezer said. "We need some judges to make some courageous decisions, like in my case and the Daryl Burton case."

Burton was exonerated in 2008 after serving 24 years in prison.

Kezer also offered his support, and personal experience, to a Jackson mother who in September launched Families and Friends Organizing for Reform for Juvenile Justice -- the first parent-led initiative in Missouri focused on improving the country's juvenile justice system. At the organization's launch, Kezer shared with a group his take on keeping juveniles locked up in adult facilities.

Tracy McClard said it was a big deal for her to have somebody share a real experience with the group.

"You can't really get your message out there unless you've talked with people that have lived it. That's just the best way there is to do it," she said.

She also appreciated Kezer's help in connecting her with individuals from Columbia who could help her in her mission to fight for juvenile justice.

"How could you not help? This woman is giving a voice to young adults in our system," Kezer said.

The lyrics of Tim McGraw's country tune "Live Like You Were Dying" come to mind, Kezer said, when he thinks about what's next in his life.

"Today is it. Enjoy the ride," he said.

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635

On the web:

Access Kezer's blog at http://joshuakezer.blogspot.com.