‘Wrongfully convicted’ Indian-origin man set free from US jail after 43 years' imprisonment, but another fear looms
Subramanyam Vedam, wrongfully convicted for 43 years, faces deportation to India despite being a permanent resident of the United States. His conviction for the 1980 murder was overturned, but ICE detained him due to a previous drug charge.
FOR Indian-origin man Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam life's challenges did not seem to have ended despite serving a 43-year sentence in a US jail after being wrongfully convicted. With a new ordeal looming, he faces the threat of deportation to India.
Convicted on murder charges of 19-year-old Thomas Kinser, the 64-year-old was finally released from Pennsylvania’s Huntingdon State Correctional Institution on October 3 after the case was overturned. However, the freedom was short-lived, as he was promptly taken into custody by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
A permanent resident of the United States, Vedam was made to spend nearly his entire adult life behind bars. For the 1980 shooting death, he was convicted twice, first in 1983 and again in 1988. Sentenced to life without parole, Vedam always maintained his innocence in the murder case of his classmate.
Determined to clear his name from the crime, he declined plea bargains during the trial proceedings. Observing that the prosecutors had illegally withheld an FBI report from defence lawyers, a Centre County Judge Jonathan Grine overturned his conviction in August 2025.
In the final verdict, the judge wrote, “Had that evidence been available at the time, there would have been a reasonable probability that the jury’s judgment would have been affected,” Miami Herald reported citing the order.
As per Philadelphia Inquirer report, Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna formally dismissed all charges, citing the “passage of time,” the loss of key witnesses, and Vedam’s decades of imprisonment.
Subramanyam Vedam makes history - first in 150 years to graduate while incarcerated
Vedam’s exoneration makes him the longest-serving wrongfully convicted person not only in Pennsylvania’s history, but also one of the longest in the United States.
Subramanyam Vedam was exceptional in academics as revealed by his perfect 4.0 GPA in Master of Business Administration (MBA). He not only completed three degrees by correspondence with magna cum laude honours but also helped inmates earn diplomas and led literacy programs. He made history by becoming the first inmate in the State Prison to achieve a graduate degree in over 150 years while incarcerated.
His father Dr K Vedam, who was a Professor Emeritus of Physics, passed away in September 2009. Vedam's mother, longing for her son's freedom for 34 years, passed away 7 years after her husband's death.
Deportation fear looms
Upon release from prison, ICE officials detained him citing “legacy deportation order” from the 1980s linked to the crime he committed as a teenager.
The charges were based on the criminal act of possessing and intending to distribute LSD. Vedam’s lawyer, Ava Benach, argued that Vedam “has forfeited four decades of his life to a prison sentence for a murder he didn’t commit.” According to Benach, Vedam “would likely have been successful in defending himself in deportation proceedings decades ago, maintaining his status as a permanent resident” if he hadn't been imprisoned due to a wrongful murder conviction.
Given the age of the conviction and Subu's record of rehabilitation, Vedam’s legal team contended that the immigration law allows discretion.
