Woman who was wrongly imprisoned for two decades receives honorary degree

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When Tyra Patterson was in prison for nearly 23 years, art was her only escape.

“I’m very passionate about social justice and art because it has a way to speak to the world,” she said.

Patterson’s case reached national attention after she was freed from prison for a crime she didn’t commit.

Patterson was charged for the murder of 15-year-old Michelle Lai, who was killed during a robbery in Dayton, Ohio.

Years later Tyra Patterson would be vindicated after Lai’s sister said she was innocent.

After help from the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, she was released from prison on Christmas Day 2017. The center then hired her as a paralegal one week after she was released.

Patterson never learned how to read or write. Unfortunately due to life circumstances and chronic homelessness, she dropped out of elementary school. She eventually was able to receive her GED while in prison.

Last weekend, Patterson was a commencement speaker at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. After her speech, she was surprised with the 2020 Creative Perseverance award and an honorary Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

“You know if I can do it, anyone can… It gave me a lot of hope,” she said through tears. “It felt so liberating to be so accepted.”

A Netflix documentary about Patterson’s life is set to be released in the summer of 2021.