Kristine Bunch Released After Serving 16 Years for Son's Arson Death
Kristine Bunch has been released from jail Thursday after being convicted of murdering her toddler son in an arson fire 16 years ago.
Due to the lack of new evidence, Bunch received a court grant for a new trial. The 38-year-old was welcomed outside the jail by her mother, Susan Hubbard.
Also awaiting Bunch was her 16-year-old son Trenton, who had never visited his mother outside of prison. Bunch entered the Indiana Women's Prison while pregnant with him, and went back the day after giving birth at the local hospital.
Authorities said that Bunch set fire to her mobile home in 1995. The blaze killed her 3-year-old Tony.
At age 22, Bunch was sentenced to 60 years in jail despite maintaining all along that she did not commit the crime.
Freshly released from prison, Bunch donned a new dress and patent leather high-heeled shoes. She was released on bond, faces a possible retrial, and has expressed an interest in becoming a criminal lawyer and working on innocence cases.
More than anything, Bunch said she looks forward to spending time with her son Trenton, The Chicago Tribune reported.
"I want to watch him sleep," said Bunch. "I want to be able to bounce into his room all night and look at him while he's asleep."
Bunch's freedom marks a victory for her legal team, who pushed that the convictions were false based on outdated and disproved fire science.
Much credit for Bunch's freedom can be given to former federal prosecutor Ron Safer ,who took an interest in the case, as well as Northwestern University's Center on Wrongful Convictions.
"Fire science has changed dramatically," said Safer, who served as lead attorney. "It's a good thing that we have made progress that people will not be in jail for what were myths and legends."
