On January 7, 2002, Heidi Fero was taking care of 15 month old Brynn and her 4.5 year old brother, Kaed, along with her own two similarly aged children. That evening, Heidi called the children’s father, reporting that Kaed physically hurt Brynn by pushing her head against the wall. Within hours, Brynn was unresponsive and Heidi called 911. Brynn survived, but she will forever require a caregiver from the injuries she endured. Heidi was ultimately prosecuted and convicted for first degree assault of a child, and sentenced to 15 years in prison. In 2007, as an American college student abroad in Italy, Amanda was accused of murdering her roommate. After an 8-year trial and 4 years in an Italian prison, Italy’s highest court ultimately exonerated Amanda. She has since become an advocate for criminal justice reform and media ethics. Amanda is also a journalist, public speaker, author, and co-host, with her partner Christopher Robinson, of the podcast Labyrinths. Amanda’s personal experience has led her to become a fierce advocate for wrongfully convicted women – and the same goes for Heidi. Heidi and Amanda met at an Innocence Network Conference years ago, and they have remained friends since. Separately and together, their advocacy work is largely driven by the importance of highlighting female wrongful convictions, and, as in Heidi’s case, the fact that the majority of wrongfully convicted women were –and are – incarcerated for crimes that never even happened.
If Heidi is still fighting for justice, your voice matters. Consider sharing this case on social media, signing any active petitions, or contacting your representatives about wrongful conviction reform.
The Wrongful Conviction podcast, hosted by Jason Flom and Khaliah Ali (daughter of Muhammad Ali), has featured over 500 cases of men and women who spent years — sometimes decades — in prison for crimes they did not commit. The podcast has been downloaded over 70 million times and has directly influenced exonerations, clemencies, and criminal justice reform legislation across the country.