Bringing Ben Home: A Story of Injustice and Redemption

How valuable is truth to you? Wrongfully convicted in 1987 for a murder he did not commit, Ben Spencer, a 22-year old Black man from Dallas, refused to trade truth for freedom, a decision that cost him 34 years behind bars.

In a recent Friday Forum co-sponsored by Baylor University and Prison Fellowship, award-winning journalist Barb Hagerty joined Ben to talk about his case, how faith sustained him over decades in prison, and how he learned to love his false accusers. They also considered flaws in the judicial system – and how one state has made changes to ensure that tragic mistakes like Ben’s don’t happen again.

“More than 3,600 women and men have faced the unimaginable: to be innocent, yet in prison,” said Prison Fellowship’s Scott Peyton, who moderated the discussion. “Ben is one of the 3,600. His story is a powerful testimony of endurance, moral clarity and the courage to choose integrity over escape.” 

“I did not get [parole] because I wouldn’t say I had remorse for a crime I did not commit,” said Ben. “One thing I could never do … is give up on truth.”

In a case that relied largely on hearsay, Ben was convicted on false testimony by a witness enticed by a large monetary reward and a jailhouse informant. Spanning years, Hagerty’s investigative work uncovered new facts and led those witnesses to recant their testimony. In 2021, Ben was released from prison.

“There are four things that went wrong in this case,” said Hagerty. “The impact of a large reward, acceptance of testimony by jailhouse informants, tunnel vision on the part of police, and prosecutorial misconduct.” Her book, Bringing Ben Home: A Murder, A Conviction and the Fight to Redeem American Justice, recounts the years of work she and a few others did to find justice for Ben.

Though slow in coming, changes in the judicial system are helping reduce the chance of getting it wrong. “Texas has gone from being the worst state in the country to the best. It has become a “model for other states and the federal government, too,” said Hagerty.

“In what other country could five people come along and fight a wrongful conviction in Texas and win? What I take solace in, is that a few people and cultural awareness has made the system look hard at itself.”

Thank you, Prison Fellowship and Baylor University, for bringing Ben and Barb to Capitol Hill. Ben’s commitment to truth – and Barb’s commitment to uncovering it – inspire us all to use our talents and positions to address injustice wherever we encounter it.