Brian Hunt

Written by law student who worked on Brian’s clemency application

Brian is 49 years old. His incarceration began when he was 16 years old. To date he has served over 32 years in prison and is not eligible for parole until 2029.

Brian grew up in and out of foster care as a child. While serving a 15 year sentence in Illinois for a robbery he committed at 16, Brian was prosecuted for the murder of Margaret Murray in Syracuse, NY, alleged to have occurred when he was 16 years old. While Brian accepts responsibility for the robbery in Illinois, he has maintained his innocence of the murder of Ms. Murray for 32 years.

Brian’s first trial ended in a hung jury, with eight out of 12 jurors voting not guilty. Upon his second trial, he was convicted and sentenced to 33 1/3 years to life. The prosecution’s case rested on the testimony of an alleged co-defendant and a career criminal jailhouse informant, both of whom received lighter sentences in exchange for their testimony. The presiding judge in Brian’s case, Kevin Mulroy, was later removed from the bench for judicial misconduct.

Today, as a 49 year old man Brian is completely distinguishable from who he was as a 16 year old. Brian has been on an honor cell block for 14 years and he hasn’t had a disciplinary infraction for 22 years. During his incarceration, Brian redesigned a prison computer software system that cut down on food waste and assisted blind incarcerated people with transport. He worked for many years in the law library and has become a self trained legal expert, filing multiple motions and actions on his own and on others’ behalf.

Shall he be released, Brian would continue to use his ingenuity and legal acumen to advocate for others and be of service to society. Brian’s aunt and best friend’s family have supported him throughout his incarceration. Brian’s fiancé Angel Klug, who has known Brian since he was a teenager, is eager for Brian to be reunited with her and her family who miss him dearly.