Notre Dame Exoneration Justice Clinic Client Iris Seabolt Exonerated
Notre Dame Exoneration Justice Clinic (EJC) client Iris Seabolt has been fully exonerated more than two decades after she was wrongfully convicted of felony murder in Elkhart, Indiana.
Special Prosecutor Nelson Chipman, the elected prosecutor of Marshall County, moved to dismiss the case against Seabolt, and, on September 2, 2026, Elkhart Superior Court Judge Christopher Spataro granted the motion to dismiss, bringing to an end a case that began more than 25 years ago. Judge Spataro previously vacated Seabolt's conviction in April 2026 after finding that constitutional violations, including the State's failure to disclose critical exculpatory evidence, undermined her conviction.
In 2004, Seabolt was convicted of felony murder in connection with the August 2000 killing of A.J. Williams in Elkhart. After the State presented its case at trial, Seabolt entered a guilty plea and was later sentenced to 45 years in prison. She attempted to withdraw her plea at sentencing, stating that her guilty plea was coerced and maintaining her innocence, but the request was denied.
Seabolt was released on parole in May 2022 after serving nearly 19 years in prison. At 12:01 a.m. on May 5, 2022, EJC students and attorneys greeted Seabolt as she walked free from Madison Correctional Facility.
Although she had regained her freedom from prison, her murder conviction remained in place for nearly four more years as the EJC continued to litigate her claims of innocence. While this litigation continued, EJC students assisted Seabolt with her reentry and reintegration into society.
“All of my success is due to the help and the friendships that have come out of this horrible situation,” said Seabolt.
EJC students and attorneys helped Seabolt secure housing, transportation, and other resources as she adjusted to life outside prison.
“They helped me find resources that I wouldn't have known how to find because I had been away so long,” she said.
Seabolt also recalled the moment she learned that the EJC would take her case after years of trying to find someone who would listen to her claims of innocence.
“Of course I cried because I spent so many years just trying to get somebody to listen,” she said.
The EJC filed Seabolt's petition for post-conviction relief in June 2021. The petition presented newly discovered evidence, including recantations from key witnesses and evidence of gross police and prosecutorial misconduct in the investigation and prosecution of her case.
In April 2026, Judge Spataro granted Seabolt's petition, vacated her conviction, and ordered a new trial. The court found that the State withheld material exculpatory and impeachment evidence, including evidence concerning misconduct by former Elkhart Police Department Detective Stephen Rezutko, who played a significant role in the investigation and development of witness testimony against Seabolt.
According to court pleadings submitted by the EJC, there was no forensic evidence linking Seabolt to the crime, and the State's case relied heavily on jailhouse informants. Evidence uncovered during post-conviction proceedings showed that Rezutko fabricated witness statements, including by sharing details of the crime with informants to shape their statements and testimony. The State also failed to disclose a video-recorded interrogation of Seabolt's co-defendant threatening to have him “strap[ped]” to a “gurney” and executed if he did not cooperate with the prosecution, a video which Rezutko had previously testified did not exist. Finally, the State failed to disclose internal affairs records documenting that Rezutko had paid his informants in homicide cases for sexual acts.
In his order vacating Seabolt's conviction, Judge Spataro wrote, "The State's blatant violation of Seabolt's rights under the Due Process Clause voids her conviction and, therefore, voids her plea."
For Professor Jimmy Gurulé, founder and director of the Notre Dame Exoneration Justice Clinic, Seabolt's exoneration underscores several significant issues surrounding her case and other wrongful convictions in Elkhart County.
First, the dismissal fully vindicates Seabolt after more than two decades of maintaining her innocence and nearly 19 years of wrongful incarceration.
“Dozens of law students worked on Iris Seabolt’s case over several years. These students used their legal knowledge and training to correct the miscarriage of justice Iris suffered. These students should be commended for their hard work,” Gurulé stated.
Among those students was Lenora Popken ’20 J.D., now a staff attorney with the EJC, who began working on Seabolt's case during her first year at Notre Dame Law School.
“After nearly 20 years of wrongful imprisonment, the world finally knows what we have always known—that Iris is innocent,” Popken said. “Fighting alongside her since my first year of law school has been the privilege of a lifetime. Iris’s unwavering strength throughout this decades-long legal battle is nothing short of extraordinary. Today is about long-overdue justice for her, and I am deeply honored to stand with her as both her attorney and her friend.”
Second, beyond Seabolt's case, Gurulé is calling for an independent investigation of every post-conviction case involving Rezutko, with a special prosecutor appointed to conduct the investigation, in light of the malfeasance uncovered in Seabolt's case and evidence of misconduct in other wrongful conviction cases in Elkhart County.
Rezutko has been involved in at least four proven wrongful convictions in Elkhart. Internal affairs investigations also documented misconduct during his tenure with the Elkhart Police Department. In Seabolt's case, Judge Spataro found that she had been deprived of evidence that could have been used to challenge both the State's case and Rezutko's credibility.
Finally, Seabolt's case adds to a troubling history of wrongful convictions in Elkhart County. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, Seabolt’s exoneration marks the eighth exoneration in Elkhart County since 1989. There are now more proven wrongful convictions in Elkhart County than any other county in Indiana, including Marion County.
“Elkhart County holds the record of being the exoneration capital of Indiana,” said Gurulé.
Seabolt's exoneration marks the EJC's fifth exoneration, after the exonerations of Reginald "Reggie" Dillard in February 2026, Kara Beaty in April 2025, Anthony Bedolla in August 2024, and Andy Royer in July 2021.
Gurulé praised the EJC team that investigated and litigated Seabolt’s case, which included staff attorney and term teaching professor Kevin Murphy '14 J.D., staff attorney Lenora Popken '20 J.D., executive assistant Anne Peterson ‘92, ‘02 J.D., adjunct professor Elliot Slosar, and at least 11 EJC students since 2021. Exoneration Project investigator Patti Fayed also worked on Seabolt’s case.
“I am so proud of the army of Notre Dame Law School students who fought for justice for Iris over the past several years,” Murphy said. “Their work was in the best tradition of Notre Dame lawyers.”
For Seabolt, her exoneration brings not only the clearing of her name, but gratitude for the people who stood beside her throughout the process.
“I am thankful to God for finally clearing my name and for using the people that He used to do it, because now, I have a whole other family,” Seabolt said.
Since its founding, the EJC has remained committed to criminal justice reform, litigating wrongful conviction cases, and educating the public about miscarriages of justice.
Learn more about the Notre Dame Exoneration Justice Clinic at exoneration.nd.edu.
Reflections from Exoneration Justice Clinic Students
Rachel Schneider ‘23 J.D.
"Being there at midnight at a Southern Indiana prison to see Iris released from custody is a memory I will cherish forever. Iris is the most selfless, kind, hilarious, and most deserving woman I’ve met. While the courts cannot give her back the decades Elkhart stole from her, I am so happy that this day has come and I could not be prouder to have had a small role in her case. I carry my memories of Iris and the injustices she’s faced with me every day."
Riley Realing ‘23 J.D.
"Working on Iris's case was one of the most meaningful experiences of my law school career. I will never forget driving down to the Kentucky border the day she was released to pick her up at exactly 12:01 a.m. It was so special to be there and welcome her home."
Iris Seabolt's Current Student Team: Third-year law students Jake Mequet, Anna Capps, and Thatcher Maconga
"It has been a privilege to assist with Iris's representation and to work alongside the EJC attorneys, staff, and students whose dedication and resolve made this result possible. Working on Iris's case has been one of the most fulfilling parts of our law school experience. We are grateful to have played even a small part in the effort to bring Iris the justice she deserves."