A man of Indian origin, Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam, whose murder conviction was recently overturned after spending over four decades in prison, has had his deportation temporarily blocked by two U.S. courts. Vedam, now 64, legally immigrated to the United States from India as an infant. He was held in a Louisiana detention center following his release from incarceration.
An immigration judge granted a stay on his deportation, pending a decision from the Board of Immigration Appeals on whether to reopen his case – a process that could extend for months. Simultaneously, a district court in Pennsylvania issued an order preventing his removal from the country. This legal intervention provides a crucial reprieve for Vedam as his future in the U.S. remains uncertain.
Vedam’s legal journey began in 1982 when he was arrested for the murder of his friend, Thomas Kinser. Kinser had been missing since December 1980, and his body was found nine months later. Vedam, being the last person seen with Kinser, became the primary suspect. At the time of his arrest, Vedam, a lawful permanent resident, also faced brief detention on drug-related charges.
He was convicted of murder in 1983 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, alongside an additional sentence for a drug offense. His defense consistently argued that the conviction relied heavily on circumstantial evidence without direct witnesses, a clear motive, or definitive physical proof. During his nearly 43 years of imprisonment, Vedam pursued education, earning three degrees, and mentored fellow inmates, striving to improve himself despite his circumstances.
His family tirelessly advocated for his innocence, though his parents passed away before witnessing his exoneration. In August of this year, a Pennsylvania court overturned his conviction following the emergence of suppressed ballistic evidence that had been withheld by prosecutors for decades, offering him a chance at freedom. However, his release from prison on October 3 was immediately followed by detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which seeks to deport him based on his past drug conviction. His legal team and sister argue that his wrongful incarceration should supersede the drug offense, deeming his continued detention unjust.