From Prison to the Spotlight: Chicago Man Wrongfully Imprisoned for 35 Years Finds Redemption Through Theatre

After decades behind bars for a crime he didn't commit, Brian Beals reclaims his future, empowers his community through healing power of performance

Natalie C. Frank. Ph.D 6/25/2025

Brian Beals embraced by loved ones after serving 35 years for crime he didn't commit; Creator/Youtube Screenshot

CHICAGO — After more than three decades behind bars for a crime he’s always maintained he didn’t commit, Brian Beals is finally free. He's using this second chance to make a difference through his art. Exonerated after being wrongfully convicted of a child's murder in 1988, Beals has changed his pain into purpose by launching a theater group in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood.

"Excited. You know, this is like the dream," he said. "You know, started doing theatre in prison. We were filling up the prison theatre."

At just 22 years old, Beals was a student at Southern Illinois University when he was arrested and charged with the murder of 6-year-old Demetrius Campbell. The case shook the community of Englewood, and Beals was swiftly convicted and sentenced to 85 years. Yet, despite the overwhelming odds against him, Beals never lost faith or claimed guilt.

Prison might have broken some, but for Beals, it became a place where theater offered sanctuary — a way to process grief, loss, and the passing of time. It became his lifeline, giving him purpose during the darkest days.

"Slowly, hard, harshly — emotionally, a lot of loss," he recalled.

His moment of liberation arrived when the Illinois Innocence Project took on his case. Their persistent efforts eventually led to his conviction being overturned. On December 12, 2023, Beals stepped out of prison a free man, greeted by loved ones and the life he had long envisioned.

"I'm still processing," he said, "but it feels good to have the state behind me."

Although Beals had physically left prison over a year ago, his record wasn’t officially cleared until recently. With the issuance of a certificate of innocence, the same legal system that once wronged him finally acknowledged his truth.

"His name, in other words, was not cleared until yesterday — when he received a certificate of innocence, which clears his name officially. It is a proclamation, " said attorney Brian Eldridge, adding, "And it's been just a privilege and an honor to represent him.".

Now fully exonerated, Beals pours his energy into the Mud Theatre Project — a community-based initiative rooted in his roots, named to honor the raw, youthful creativity many underserved kids remember from childhood. Mud Theatre seeks to give voice to those often unheard.

"For many of us from underresourced communities, mud was our first toy. It's what sparked our creativity. Now, as we journey through life, we get our stories out the mud," reads the project’s mission statement.

Beals now mentors young performers, guiding them on stage and through life. He’s helping them discover healing, purpose, and pride in their stories — stories that truly matter.

"I'm still writing my story," Beals said. "We're just getting started."