Freed inmate Joshua Kezer to speak Saturday in Cape Girardeau

Joshua C. Kezer, recently released from prison after a judge exonerated him of the 1992 murder of a Southeast Missouri State University student, will speak Saturday in Cape Girardeau at an event planned by friends in the community.

Kezer served more than 14 years in prison in Jefferson City, Mo., for the second-degree murder conviction. He was released Feb. 18 after a Cole County judge declared him "actually innocent" of the crime in a 44-page court opinion acknowledging the wrongful conviction.

The event is open to the public and will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Dexter Bar-B-Que in Cape Girardeau, said Mike Woelk, a friend of the family.

Woelk described the event as a "chance to meet Josh and celebrate his freedom."

Donations to offer assistance to Kezer can be made payable to the Joshua Kezer New Life Fund, private mailbox 171, 2101 W. Broadway, Suite 103, Columbia Mo., 65203, or through a PayPal account using the e-mail address joshkezer@gmail.com at www.paypal.com.