Minnesota's Conviction Review Unit Closes, Leaving Hundreds of Cases in Limbo
Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry reports on the abrupt closure of Minnesota's Conviction Review Unit after a federal grant went unrenewed, leaving hundreds of applicants, including Adrian Riley, who has served nearly three decades on three consecutive life sentences, without a path to review their cases. Families and advocates, including Marvina Haynes, whose brother's wrongful conviction was overturned after decades of advocacy, held a State Capitol press conference demanding the unit be reopened and fully funded, or replaced by an independent investigative body.
Some Minnesota inmates and their loved ones are shocked and confused following the abrupt suspension of the Conviction Review Unit (CRU) within the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office (AGO).
Adrian Riley, 50, currently incarcerated at Moose Lake Correctional Facility, is one of hundreds of individuals actively fighting to maintain their innocence. In 1996, Riley was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences for murders that he said he did not commit.
Riley was having his case reviewed by the CRU, which evaluates cases of those believed to be wrongfully convicted. He hoped the review would be his ticket to freedom after a recent appeal and parole denial. But after finding out that the unit will no longer be investigating his case due to the closure, Riley feels crushed.
“I feel like I got 2,000-pound gorillas on each shoulder. That’s how heavy this stuff is. It’s like a burden,” Riley said.
Riley’s mother, Mary Riley, along with other loved ones of those believed to be wrongfully incarcerated and advocates, held a press conference on Tuesday, July 14, at the State Capitol. The group demanded that the CRU be reopened and fully funded by the state.
“He was really depending on them, because they told him that they can help him,” Mary said.
“Why would legislators allow for a unit to be closed down when that’s all the hope that families have had?” said Marvina Haynes, who spent decades helping overturn the wrongful conviction of her brother, Marvin Haynes. “For 20 years, my family advocated, and no one would listen to us.”
The CRU received a federal grant in 2020 from the Department of Justice that was not renewed, resulting in its closure due to a lack of funds.
Findings from the External Review of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Conviction Integrity Unit, often referred to as the CRU, indicate that the unit received more than 1,000 applications for case review between its launch in 2021 and late 2024. Since then, the CRU has provided post-conviction relief in three cases.
Considering the volume of applications submitted to the unit, Haynes is also asking that the state form an independent investigative body to give people a fair, unbiased look at their cases.
“With numbers like that, it does bring hope that they were going to really investigate the cases and give people a fair shot,” she said.
In a response to the group’s demands, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement, “If the opportunity arises in the future, through renewed funding or other means, I would welcome the chance to resume this important work.”
According to the AGO, there are some cases in which the office will follow up with the county attorney and the attorney for the applicant to share its work product.
The AGO announced the CRU in 2021 following the high-profile case of Myon Burrell, who was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life in prison as a teenager for the 2002 killing of 11-year-old Tyesha Edwards.
Associated Press reporter Robin McDowell’s research article, “Amy Klobuchar helped jail teen for life, but case was flawed,” helped Burrell’s story gain national attention, questioning the state’s criminal legal system. Burrell did not receive assistance from the CRU because he was granted clemency by the Minnesota Board of Pardons and released from prison in 2021.
Like several others, Riley’s case is left on the shelf, leaving him with what he calls the “daunting task” of finding a new route to release.
At Riley’s clemency board hearing in June of 2026, board members denied his request, citing a lack of accountability. Riley openly acknowledges his role, admitting that at 19 years old, he “set a drug deal up,” which tragically led to the deaths of three people. However, he maintains that he was not the shooter.
“They were expecting me to say that I was the shooter. I can’t tell a lie about something that I didn’t do at this point,” Riley said.
Despite the setbacks and uncertainty with the CRU, Riley said he’s keeping a positive outlook as he continues to fight for his freedom.
“I’ll never quit. I’ll keep going. Eventually, I know that old maxim that says, keep knocking at some doors, man. Eventually, someone’s going to let you in,” Riley said.