Help this innocent father return to his family!
Help this innocent father return to his family!
Why this petition matters
Tom and Laura Imschweiler lost their son, Franklin, to a tragic and sudden death while vacationing in the Outer Banks in 2018. Medical professionals initially misdiagnosed his death as Shaken Baby Syndrome. Because Tom was the last person to see Franklin, all fingers pointed to him as the cause of his death. There is overwhelming medical evidence that proves otherwise, as does a highly regarded pathologist in North Carolina, Dr. Mary Gilliland.
Three years after their son tragically died, and while Laura was seven months pregnant with their daughter, their family faced an impossible choice. Tom was facing life in prison without parole if he went to trial, which meant he might never see his family again. Rather than risk that, they decided he should use the "Alford Plea" to plead guilty of voluntary manslaughter — meaning he maintains his innocence while still pleading guilty.
Today, a year and a half later, we created this petition to ask for the public's help. No family should have to suffer one horrible loss like this, let alone two. The growing rate of falsely convicted crimes around the country is becoming more evident as authority figures are becoming more aware of it. It was always clear that there had been police and prosecutorial misconduct against Tom. Our goal is to get the governor of North Carolina to commute Tom’s unjust sentence and bring this innocent man home to his family!
If you would like to learn more about Tom's journey, please visit InnocentFather.com
Decision Makers
- Josh SteinNorth Carolina Attorney General
Make your petition known to Josh Stein
- Josh SteinNorth Carolina Governor