Right at noon, I settled down at a desk in the guard station to listen to my hearing over the telephone. Keith told me he would try to get me out on a signature bond, but my mother was prepared to pay a five-thousand-dollar bond if necessary. Keith assured me it wouldn’t be more than that since my original bond had been five thousand dollars.
Thankfully, Mom and my brother, Wayne, had left Hudson early that morning because of the storm, and had driven through heavy snowfall and whiteout conditions close to Madison. But they were now in place in the courtroom.
Meanwhile, Jill and Patti were finally pulling into the courthouse parking garage at noon. Jill told me they leapt out of the car and clambered through eight inches of snow that quickly filled their shoes. There was no need to look both ways before clomping across the street--the city of Madison was at a standstill! Even the university had closed down, which was rare.
By 12:10 p.m., a panting Jill and Patti had arrived on the tenth floor. Jill scooted into the media room next door to photograph the key players, and was relieved to see Judge Moeser enter the courtroom in his flowing black robe. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect!
Jill snapped pictures but the glass had been tinted to block flashes from bothering court proceedings, so later we found that her courtroom pictures were blurred. She caught her breath when Judge Moeser put me on speakerphone. Jill had not heard my voice in eleven long years!
The hearing was short and to the point. Judge Moeser acknowledged the appellate court decision and read the statute that would release me. Even though this man had put me through so much misery over the years, I was grateful to him that day for expediting my hearing. I was cordial and thanked him for releasing me on the signature bond.
Very few outsiders attended the hearing. A few reporters braved the weather, and a local television station interviewed Wayne and my mother. Patti talked with several newspaper reporters. Jill whisked into the courtroom and captured a memorable moment on camera: a picture of Keith Findley signing the documents that would set me free.
Jill joined the others in the corridor when suddenly she looked down the hall and saw a perfect photo walking towards her. It was Keith Findley and students Laura Bayerd, Anwar Ragep and Steve Grunder, all wearing huge smiles on their faces. They simply glowed after the hearing! Jill lifted her camera and with tears in her eyes captured a truly inspiring picture of those precious people who had given so much of their blood, sweat and tears to free an innocent woman.
Mom and Wayne decided to head back to Hudson, but ended up battling the furious storm. Jill talked to the reporters and everyone realized driving to the prison to get pictures of my release was virtually impossible with the raging weather. The Wisconsin State Journal reporter, Dee Hall, said she would try to find a stringer near Waupun to take some pictures. Patti battled the elements back to Waunakee and dropped Jill back at the only motel in town. Apparently, nature had conspired to delay, once again, my return to Waunakee.
At twelve-thirty a sergeant told me my friends had arrived, but the paperwork was not yet ready. Taycheedah had yet to fax its portion of the release forms and Dane County was hustling to finish its part. At one o’clock the courthouse in Madison shut down because of the weather, and I was extremely thankful that the clerk of courts stayed on to process my release.
The Burke staff was very kind and told Shelley and the gals to grab a cup of coffee at a nearby restaurant. They would be contacted when the paperwork was ready. The wait was grueling as Shelley longed to see me out of prison, and we were all aware of the deteriorating road conditions.
Finally, just after three, I heard my name called over the Burke loud speaker with orders to bring my things to the property area. Several inmates helped me carry my boxes and I gladly turned in my state items. It took mere minutes for my release.
Joyously, I walked into the prison entryway and saw Shelley, Robyn and Shelly standing there waiting for me. We hugged with glee, but they all wanted to get me back to Shelley’s home and handed me a hat, scarf and a beautiful pair of boots.
“These are yours,” Shelley said. “You will definitely need them.” Realizing I didn’t have a heavy coat, Shelley let me wear one of hers, a lovely black quilted jacket. I pulled on the boots while my friends ran some of my boxes out to the car.
With snow gusting sideways, I picked up the final box and headed out the door of that infernal prison. I was over the moon with excitement, drinking in the freedom of actually walking to a car that would take me off the property.
The Wisconsin State Journal hired freelance photographer Hank Snyder from Beaver Dam to take pictures that the Associated Press would later send around the world. Hank was wonderful, and even helped us haul the boxes through the wild snow. He took a picture of the four of us huddled together in happiness, which appeared in many newspapers.
Exuberantly, I threw my arms into the air, wanting to hug it all in. Shelley did a great job capturing the moment, knowing Jill would kill her if she didn’t get good pictures. As joyous as the moment was, we were all freezing and after bidding Hank goodbye we hopped into the car and for the first time in more than a decade, I rode past the barbed wire fences to freedom.
Shelley instantly gave me her cell phone and I stared at it in awe. I’d never used a cell phone before. I quickly called Carrie, who was in the middle of getting her hair highlighted, and announced, “I’m free, honey!”
Carrie squealed with delight. “This is so cool we can talk by cell phone now,” she gushed like a typical teenager. “What are you doing?”
“I’m driving home in a heavy blizzard,” I reported, “But I’m finally out of that awful prison. See you soon!”
Then, I called the younger girls who screamed with happiness when they heard my voice. “We didn’t have to press any buttons to accept your call,” Jenny marveled.
My two requests for Shelley when she picked me up were flavored seltzer water and almonds. Now, she pulled them out of a bag for me and I opened the nuts, savoring their wondrous flavor.
“I also bought you this,” Shelley said holding up an adorable white T-shirt splashed with red hearts. I peeled off my drab gray shirt right in the car and put on the heart-adorned top. It was the perfect shirt for a released prisoner who was finally riding in a car with friends, and could now go anywhere her heart desired.
Shelley also gave me a gorgeous new purse that she’d filled with Chapstick, bobby pins, a makeup bag and other exciting things I hadn’t used or owned for years.
The phone rang and it was Ryan Foley, a reporter with the Associated Press. Jill had met him at the hearing and given him Shelley’s cell phone number because Jill had always wanted my side of the story told.
Dee Hall with the Wisconsin State Journal had also called but said the paper would likely shorten her story because of all the weather news that day. I was glad to finally talk to the media and share my happiness.
We crept along for two hours, but I didn’t have a care in the world. In DeForest, we pulled up to a house that Shelley announced belonged to her sister, Linda. “She’s a hairdresser and she is going to cut and color your hair!” We all laughed because everyone was tired of the gray and wanted me back to my original blonde. I was thrilled, and grateful to Shelley for this fun surprise.
As we walked in the door, I just had to scoop up Linda’s eleven-month-old granddaughter. I hadn’t held a baby since my own children were small. I cuddled her close to me as tears filled my eyes. Linda set out crackers and cheese which I gobbled down and then trimmed my hair. We all decided the weather was so nasty that we needed to forgo the hair color and get back to Waunakee.
Now it was dark, and the country roads were horrendous, but as we closed in on Shelley’s neighborhood, the phone rang. It was Patti and Jill. “We’ve been driving around and around your neighborhood and we can’t find your street,” Patti said. It turned out that Shelley’s street was buried in almost fourteen inches of snow!
We pulled up next to Patti’s vehicle as Shelly gunned the motor and plowed through the piled snow with her four-wheel drive vehicle. Patti followed her tracks and we all parked in front of Shelley’s gorgeous condo.
I burst out of the car, eager to see and hug Jill. Even though we had corresponded regularly by mail, eleven years had passed since we’d last seen each other. She stepped out of Patti’s car and started to cry. “Don’t try to get through this snow,” she called to me. “We’ll hug inside.”
But I couldn’t wait. I ran towards her, my boots sinking into the knee-deep snow. We fell into each other’s arms in sheer exhilaration, tears streaking down both our faces. After all the months of writing together, we could hardly believe my tragic story would finally have a happy ending.
I will never forget stepping inside Shelley’s warm, wonderful home. My talented friend had created a comfy, inviting atmosphere with her expert decorating sense. I marveled at her modern granite kitchen and hardwood floors and again, could hardly believe I was actually out of the gray walls of the prison and inside Shelley’s beautiful living room. My gaze darted around the room as I absorbed the kaleidoscope of family pictures, heirlooms, flowers and other tasteful accessories.
Finally, I sank onto a fluffy couch and cuddled under a soft blanket, awed by my sudden good fortune.
“I’m ordering pizza,” Shelley announced. “I hope they will deliver on a night like this.”
A few vendors had brought pizza to my last prison job, but other than that, the only pizza I had eaten in the past decade was some sauce slathered on a slice of French bread with a bit of cheese.
Then, Jill carried in two large presents wrapped in Christmas paper. “These are for all the Christmases you missed.”
She had bought me a pretty, pink nightgown and fluffy bathrobe, which seemed so sumptuous compared to the T-shirts I’d slept in at the prison every night for the past eleven years. Next, Jill rolled in a large suitcase. “My mother insisted I spend five hundred dollars of her money on you. This luggage is yours, too.”
Deeply moved, I unzipped the suitcase and found it overflowing with clothes, towels, and other things I’d immediately need. Jill also handed me a beautiful black jacket that fit me perfectly.
It felt as if God was erasing the gray in my life and infusing it with beauty and color once again.
I ate two bites of pizza before the doorbell started ringing. I couldn’t believe the number of friends who braved the storm and were now pouring into Shelley’s lovely condo. Friends, folks from church and former neighbors hugged, laughed and chatted until late into the night. Many brought gifts I would need, including pillows and linens for the times when my daughters visited me in my new home.
About 10:45 p.m. Shelley’s phone rang. It was my eldest daughter Carrie. She was excited to be going to Colorado at four the next morning, but she wanted to hear my voice and longed to be with me. We chatted for a short while and she told me she would call the next day when they were in Colorado.
This was truly one of the most incredible nights of my life.
After the party wound down, Shelley showed me to an elegant room on the lower level. The queen-sized bed was beautiful and featured the thickest mattress I’d ever seen. I lingered in the bathroom, marveling at the beautiful granite sink, the lavish toiletries and especially my newfound privacy.
I washed my face and used some of Shelley’s scented lotion. Finally, I slipped the pink nightgown over my head and felt—for the first time in years—pretty!
The ecstasy of sinking onto that bed was beyond what I had dreamed of all those years. There was no crunchy plastic cover or aching hips against cruel steel. But the best part was the thick down pillow. I hugged it close to me and cried.
I am free, I told myself again and again. Finally, I fell into a deep sleep, eager to see what the next day would bring.
To our delight, crews had begun to clear the roads, so Shelley treated Jill and me to lunch at her country club. We met with a few friends, including some who didn’t know me but had heard my story and wanted to meet me. The service at the club was impeccable and I was stunned when someone set down a gorgeous salad in front of me.
I had craved fresh vegetables all those years; now, I savored every bite and drank in the ambiance of friendship, beauty and delicious food.
Back at Shelley’s, the doorbell rang and I fell into the arms of Pastor Dave Werner and his wife, Barb, who had been my constant support since Natalie fell ill. They brought along dear Grace Fonstad, another church member who had defended me from the beginning. We spent a lovely afternoon, which included a reporter stopping by to write a feature story about my newfound freedom for the Sunday paper.
That evening, Shelley’s brother and sister-in-law invited us over for dinner. They now lived in Shelley’s old house on Dorn Drive. When they asked what I’d like for my meal, I told Shelley I craved steak and they were happy to oblige me!
Many of Shelley’s window treatments and touches were still in the house that I’d visited many times in the past, so it was nostalgic for me to see it again. The dinner was delectable and Jill took pictures of me eating my steak and my first Freedom Cake. She wanted to capture all my firsts.
After supper, the door bell started ringing and former friends and neighbors welcomed me home in another unforgettable evening of pure joy.
Shelley invited Jill to stay at the condo, so that night she crawled into bed with me, then lay awake trying to stifle tears as she listened to my soft breathing. All those years she had worried about me in prison. She couldn’t believe she was actually lying beside me, and that I was peacefully asleep and safe at last.
The next day, we had three important missions. The first was to color my hair blonde. Robyn came over and helped Shelley with the hair dye, and we were all stunned to see the transformation. I knew my girls would be thrilled to see me blonde and youthful once again.
After my hair was styled, I pulled a bright pink sweater out of my new suitcase and was delighted to find that it fit perfectly. My friends and I then made our way to downtown Madison on our second important mission of the day--meeting with the folks at The Innocence Project.
I truly felt like Rip Van Winkle, finally emerging from a long hibernation. Shelley punched in the address on what she called “a GPS system” built into her dashboard. I was amazed to hear a woman’s voice guide us to our destination. Technology had zoomed while I was languishing in prison. I knew I had a lot of catching up to do.
We finally found a parking garage and sloshed through the wet sidewalks to the Innocence Project building. As we neared, two students burst from the side door and ran toward us. They were Laura and Anwar, who had waited way too long for this moment. They hugged me warmly and led us inside.
The fourth floor was abuzz with my impending arrival and staff stepped out of their offices to greet me and offer their congratulations. I felt like a celebrity as I made my way to a tiny corner office. Students who had worked on my case over the years jammed inside to finally see the woman they had worked so hard to set free.
“So this is the office where it all came together?” I laughed, delighted to be among such loyal supporters.
Excited chatter and overall bliss prevailed as everyone talked about what they had done to free me. I was proud and grateful to these young people who had worked so passionately on my behalf. Of course, the room lit up with constant flashes from Jill’s camera, delightedly gathering more material for the book.
The only person missing that day was our mighty leader, Keith Findley. He was out of town getting the man falsely accused of rape out of prison. He did join us on the speakerphone, but I longed to hug him and thank him in person. It truly was a momentous day.
Shelley steered us around Madison and we called Patti Larson and Shelly to meet us at the mall for our final important mission…shopping! I had written to Jill many times over the years that I missed TJ-Maxx, a fabulous discount store that sells clothes and household goods. That was our first stop and again, Jill took lots of pictures. Shelley generously opened her pocketbook and allowed me to buy whatever I wanted, but I stuck with essentials like cotton tops, some pants, underwear and socks. Jill was busily texting pictures to my daughters on the ski slopes in Vail.
We stopped by a vision center because I really wanted to ditch the prison glasses and buy some contacts. Unfortunately, they couldn’t fit me in that day, so we grabbed some pizza at the food court and shopped the rest of the afternoon. I picked up jeans, new running shoes and some small gifts for the girls. Then, thoroughly sated from our shopping extravaganza, we hauled the bags over to Patti’s van.
“Audrey, it’s time,” Patti said, handing over her keys. “You haven’t driven in eleven years.”
Fortunately, at the John Burke Center, I was taken to a state license facility to renew my driver’s license before I was released, so I settled in behind the wheel and blissfully drove to Shelley’s house. This act alone truly made me feel as if I were back in the saddle again!
That evening, more friends gathered and brought in Chinese food, another spectacular taste sensation for me. Everyone kept asking me if I felt strange being out of prison, and some were concerned about how well I would adjust to regular life again.
I reassured them that I’d never actually adjusted to prison life, so I was now once more living my normal life again. It felt natural and I fell into step immediately. Although I’d have to update myself on advances, such as cell phones and computers, I knew what was most important: how to live an honest, happy, normal life.
The party wound down and Jill and I tried to sleep, but couldn’t stop discussing the past three days, agreeing that we could catch up on sleep later.
My dear friend Barb Rowe offered me her daughter’s car to use for the next few months—a wonderful gift as I prepared to leave Shelley’s charming condo. The roads were now cleared after one of the area’s worst snowstorms in history.
The next morning, Jill and I packed up to leave Shelley’s charming condo. Shelley loaded Jill down with pictures and newspaper articles about my release amid the record-breaking snowstorm. Finally, Jill headed back to Michigan, a stressful eight hour drive which included navigating the entire chaotic length of Chicago.
I packed up my borrowed car and aimed north. Tears fell as I drank in the exquisite frozen landscape of Wisconsin. I could not believe I was free and driving with no restrictions. I planned to spend the rest of the weekend with my mother and other relatives in Hudson.
And next Monday, I would finally hold my dear daughters in my arms once again.