Wrongfully Convicted Indiana Man Receives Record $11.7M Settlement

Andrew Royer, who was coerced into a false confession due to his mental disability, spent 16 years in prison before his release in 2020.

Andrew Royer, a mentally disabled man who was wrongfully convicted for the murder of a 94-year-old woman, has reached an $11.7 million settlement with a northern Indiana city and former police officers.
The settlement is the largest known in Indiana history for a wrongful conviction case.
Royer spent 16 years in prison after confessing to the crime, a confession his attorneys argue was coerced and exploited due to his mental disability.
Royer was released from prison in 2020 after a judge found his confession to be 'unreliable' and 'involuntary', and that investigators fabricated evidence and forced a witness to give false testimony.
Royer's claims against Elkhart County officials, including the county prosecutor, are still pending.