Christopher Wickham was wrongfully convicted in 1997 of two counts of aggravated sexual assault in Salt Lake City. He spent approximately 15 years in prison and was placed on the sex offender registry.
Rocky Mountain Innocence Center began investigating Mr. Wickham’s claim of innocence five years ago, and in 2018, attorneys from the Salt Lake City office of Stoel Rives joined them in litigating the case, which ultimately showed that Mr. Wickham was innocent of all charges.
Rocky Mountain Innocence Center’s investigation uncovered numerous pieces of new evidence, such as an alibi confirmation that showed he was admitted at a local hospital for an automobile accident at the time of the assault, as well as a statement from the actual perpetrator that Mr. Wickham was not present during the assault.
Utah Third District Court Judge Royal I. Hansen signed an order on September 10, 2019, exonerating Mr. Wickham.
Rocky Mountain Innocence Center works to correct and prevent the wrongful conviction of innocent people in Utah, Nevada, and Wyoming. RMIC advocates for systemic reform to improve the justice system and to create meaningful opportunities for the wrongfully convicted to prove their innocence and receive compensation for unjust incarceration.