Dorchester’s Sean K. Ellis was convicted of murdering a Boston detective when he was 19, despite his staunch claims of innocence. It took three 1995 trials to convict him, his first two trials having ended with hung juries. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole – but was ultimately freed after serving 22 years when shocking revelations of Boston police misconduct in his case were presented to the court. Journalist Elaine Alice Murphy had known Ellis as a child and believed in his innocence. She wrote In for Life: A Journey into Murder, Corruption, and Friendship to describe her two-decade quest, in partnership with his mother and attorneys, to free him, including her own role in uncovering the police corruption that led to his release.
Note: This case was also made into a riveting documentary in 2020 called Trial 4 and can be viewed on Netflix. Elaine’s excellent book, In for Life: A Journey into Murder, Corruption, and Friendship will be available for sale after the class in the Craine Room.
