Judge dismisses all charges against Iris Seabolt, exonerating her in 2000 Elkhart murder case

ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. (WNDU) - A judge has dismissed all charges against Iris Seabolt, fully exonerating her of a wrongful murder conviction from more than 20 years ago.

Seabolt served nearly 19 years in prison before her release on parole in 2022. Her murder conviction remained on her record until Wednesday’s ruling.

The Notre Dame Exoneration Justice Clinic took up her case.

As WNDU reported in April, a judge threw out Seabolt’s conviction after finding constitutional violations, including the state’s failure to disclose evidence that could have proven her innocence.

Seabolt initially pleaded guilty but told a judge she was not of sound mind when doing so during her 2004 murder trial in the 2000 death of A.J. Williams.

According to the Notre Dame Exoneration Justice Clinic, this is the eighth exoneration in Elkhart County since 1989, giving the county the record for the most proven wrongful convictions of any county in Indiana.