Dewey Bozella facts for kids

Dewey Bozella (born in 1959) is a former professional boxer. He is known for a very difficult part of his life: being wrongly put in prison. In 1983, he was found guilty of a serious crime he did not commit. Mr. Bozella spent 26 years in prison. In 2009, his conviction was finally overturned, meaning he was proven innocent and set free.

Dewey's Early Life

Dewey Bozella faced many challenges when he was young. He experienced a lot of sadness and loss in his family. As a teenager, Dewey trained as a boxer. He even worked with Floyd Patterson, a famous heavyweight boxing champion.

When he was 20, Dewey spent some time in prison for a past mistake. However, he used his time wisely. He earned a bachelor's degree from Mercy College. He also earned a master's degree from New York Theological Seminary.

A Wrongful Conviction

In 1977, an elderly woman named Emma Crapser was sadly killed in her apartment. Police believed that 18-year-old Dewey Bozella was involved. In 1983, Dewey was found guilty of the crime. He was sentenced to spend 20 years to life in prison.

Dewey always said he was innocent. He refused to admit to a crime he didn't do. Because of this, the parole board (a group that decides if prisoners can be released early) denied him parole four times.

Dewey reached out to the Innocence Project. This group helps people who might have been wrongly convicted. When they couldn't find DNA evidence, they sent his case to a law firm called WilmerHale. Lawyers at WilmerHale found new evidence. This evidence had been hidden by the prosecutors (the lawyers who tried to prove him guilty). The new evidence showed that Dewey was innocent and had been framed.

A judge agreed that important evidence proving Dewey's innocence had not been shared. On October 28, 2009, Dewey Bozella was finally released from prison. He had spent 26 years there for a crime he did not commit.

Life in Prison

Dewey Bozella was held in prisons in New York State. One of these was Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York. While he was at Sing Sing, he continued to box. He even became the prison's light heavyweight boxing champion!

Life After Prison

After being released on October 28, 2009, Dewey Bozella started helping young people. He worked at a local gym in Newburgh, New York. He taught teenagers about boxing. He also talked to them about the dangers of joining gangs.

Dewey often visits different groups to share his life story. He frequently attends boxing events in New York City.

Today, Dewey lives in Fishkill, New York with his wife, Trena. In 2011, he shared a dream with an ESPN reporter. He still hoped to have at least one professional boxing match. A famous boxing champion, Bernard Hopkins, helped make this dream come true.

Arthur Ashe Courage Award

On July 13, 2011, Dewey Bozella's amazing story was featured on ESPN's yearly ESPY Award show. This event took place in Los Angeles. Dewey was honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. This award celebrates people who show great strength and courage.

Professional Boxing Debut

On October 15, 2011, Dewey Bozella was 52 years old. He made his professional boxing debut! This fight happened before the main match between Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson in Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Dewey won his fight against Larry Hopkins by a unanimous decision after four rounds.

Dewey had been training with Bernard Hopkins in Philadelphia. Even President Barack Obama called Dewey to wish him good luck for his upcoming fight!

Public Appearances and Memoir

In 2012, Dewey Bozella was a special guest at a boxing event. He said that boxing and the champions he met helped save his life.

In 2016, Dewey published a book about his life. It is called Stand Tall: Fighting For My Life, Inside and Outside the Ring.

Professional Boxing Record

1 Win (0 knockouts), 0 Losses, 0 Draws, 0 No Contest
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Win	1-0	Larry Hopkins	UD	4 (4)	2011-10-15	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California	Bozella's professional debut.

See also

• Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, another boxer who was wrongly imprisoned for many years
• List of wrongful convictions in the United States