Raymond Towler's Story

Raymond Daniel Towler was imprisoned for almost 29 years for a crime he did not commit. Convicted by eyewitness testimony in 1981, he heard about DNA testing during the OJ trial in 1995. Fifteen years of trying to get proper tests done on the physical evidence of his case finally paid off when he was exonerated in 2010. But so many years behind bars makes the real world seem a strange place.

So many choices. Which car insurance. Which cereal. Which deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, shampoo. Rows and rows of products. Varieties, sizes, colors. Which is cheaper? Which is better? What's the best buy? Which gum to chew? When he went into prison there were, like, two kinds of chewing gum. Now there are a zillion. One of the small gifts he gives himself is trying all the gums. "I can spoil myself a little so long as I stay within my means," he says. Papaya juice! Kiwi and strawberry nectar! Green tea! Arnold Palmer — he was a golfer when Towler went down. Now he is a drink, sweet and so incredibly thirst quenching.

The entire compelling story can be read at Esquire. http://www.esquire.com/print-this/ray-towler-profile-0311?page=all -via Boing Boing

(Image credit: Michael Edwards)