Dad who was wrongly imprisoned for 22 years gets to see 21-year-old son graduate college

While hundreds of students got to walk across the stage during the graduation ceremony from Goshen College, the moment was especially exciting for a father and son duo who thought it would never happen.

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According to the South Bend Tribune, Eddie Bolden, had been imprisoned for 22 years and missed out on many moments with his son Dominique “Dom”. Eddie had been wrongfully convicted of killing two men. He was exonerated this year but it wasn’t until last week that he had been freed. His release was just in time to be there for Dom’s graduation.

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“I was anxious to see him walk across the stage,” Eddie said Sunday. “I can’t stop crying.”

Despite the fact that Eddie had been imprisoned for all of Dominique’s 21 years of life, both of his sons, including his older son, Antonio Johnson, would often visit him in prison. The two maintained good relationship with their dad as he asked them both not to give up on him.

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“You all are the reason I didn’t give up,” a teary-eyed Eddie told his boys on Sunday. “There were days that I didn’t want to live. The only thing that stopped me from giving up is that I knew it would hurt you all. I thank you for being my reason to live.”

Read more of their story and see more of their photos on the South Bend Tribune.

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