Christopher Bynum has be waking up to a nightmare every day since February 18, 2000. People don’t like to say the police are dirty, but solid evidence says differently of the very ones who “made a case” against Cleveland “Chris” Bynum.

Almost 24- years ago, Chris Bynum was charged with five counts of murder. Even though he was convicted, Chris has always maintained his innocence. Even at his sentencing hearing, he respectfully addressed the court and victims’ family, telling them they have the wrong “Chris.” Bynum has always alleged that Gary Police Officer, Louis Donald, forced him to sign false statements. Bynum has never been recorded on tape confessing to anything.

Instead, Gary Police Officers typed a Q & A statement and had Bynum sign it. After 14-years, another man, Gerald “Chris” Mathews, confessed to the crimes Bynum is convicted of. Mathews gave the confession to his boss, and asked him to get it into the right hands should anything ever happen to him. Weeks later Mathews was killed. IUPUI Law Professor, Fran Watson, fiercely took on investigating the case. Watson discovered Mathews’ alias was “Chris”, and petitioned the Indiana Court of Appeals to test DNA rape kits that Lake County Prosecutors had in their possession, but had never processed to find potential suspects.

Those rape kits revealed at least two profiles neither of which was Bynum’s. However, one profile was semen belonging to a Gary Police Officer’s son. The semen was found in the mouth of one of the deceased victims, that was found partially nude at a baseball field. The only eyewitness to testify against Bynum at trial was a 12-year old boy (L.B.), who was the son of one of the victims. L.B. testified he heard Bynum’s voice while the murders took place. He also testified he could partially see the person doing the shooting (which would be in direct conflict with the second statement Bynum was forced to sign). Bynum, vehementally, for years, asked his attorneys to find L.B., because Bynum knew the case was fabricated, and L.B’s truth would help prove the Gary Detectives have been lying about misconduct in the case.

Almost 20-years later, Attorney Watson, was able to secure a sworn deposition for L.B., who was now in his early 30’s, married, and trying to move on from the undeserved pain he’s been through over the course of his life. L.B. testified, under oath, and in the presence of a Lake County Deputy Prosecutor, that he only said it was Chris Bynum in the statement he gave to Gary Police Officers on February 17th, 2000, because those same officers said to L.B. that Chris Bynum had already “confessed.” Chris Bynum having confessed already was impossible on 2/17/2000, however, because Bynum was never arrested until February 18th of 2000. If L.B. is to be believed, it would mean the very detectives Bynum has always claimed framed him, further victimized the child witness, L.B. and also manipulated L.B. into lying about Chris Bynum being the perpatraitor. L.B., also during his sworn deposition, admitted that he was only able to identify Bynum during trial because one of the Gary Cops pointed Chris out to him before L.B. was walked into the courtroom to testify against Bynum. The same Gary Detective, Louis Donald, who Bynum has always alleged forced him to sign the typed statements, also had his estate sued for forcing a woman (D.H.) to falsely confess to killing her husband, months from the time Donald committed the same misconduct with Chris. D.H. was ultimately freed, and that law suit was in fact settled.

It is important to note that during Bynum’s interrogation, he alleges that many of his civil rights were violated. These include: Arresting Bynum’s then fiancé, bringing her into a room adjacent to Bynum, so that Bynum could see her, and telling Bynum that if he did not sign the fabricated statements that were typed by police his then fiancé would be put away and the state would be taking their child. Bynum was also denied the simple right to water, use the restroom and having a lawyer present. Chris’ legal team is actively fighting to prove his innocence and bring him home.