Wrongfully imprisoned for over 40 years for a crime he did not commit, Subu Vedam got a new chance for justice in 2022 when lawyers working in concert with the PA Innocence Project gained access to never before disclosed evidence. Upon his exoneration in October 2025 Subu was detained by ICE where he remains today despite an Immigration Judge's April ruling reinstating his residency status. Read more below about his ongoing quest for freedom.
ABOUT SUBU
Subramanyam Vedam
(2024)
Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam was sentenced to life without parole in a Pennsylvania prison for a crime he did not commit. More than 40 years ago, Subu, a native of State College, PA, was wrongly convicted of murder in the death of another local man.
Recently released records show that prosecutors concealed extensive evidence proving Subu’s innocence from the jurors who wrongfully convicted him in 1983.
In an apparent attempt to improperly manipulate jurors into convicting Subu, the Centre County District Attorney’s Office in the 1980s never disclosed key information that could have exonerated him of the charges, including that:
- An FBI report concluded that the victim was not killed by bullets linked to a gun that Subu purportedly used to commit the crime.
- Crime scene evidence further substantiated that a different gun than the one prosecutors linked to Subu was involved in the murder.
- A key witness for the prosecution lied on the stand.
This long-concealed evidence was finally discovered in 2022 when the current Centre County District Attorney provided access to its comprehensive files in the murder case. On February 6 and 7, 2025, Centre County Court of Common Pleas Judge Jonathan D. Grine heard testimony from one of the nation’s leading forensic experts whose analysis showed that the bullet hole measurements in the concealed evidence were too small to have come from a .25-caliber weapon, disrupting the argument used to convict Subu.
On August 28th, 2025, Judge Grine ruled in Subu's favor, finding that the concealed evidence represented a violation of his constitutional right to due process because their contents "would potentially have severed the link between the petitioner [Subu] and the crime" had they been made available to his defense team at the first two trials. This ruling officially vacated Subu's conviction. Subu's community welcomed this decision, anticipating an end to 44-years of hardship and captivity.
On October 3, 2025, one day after District Attorney Cantorna officially dropped all charges against Subu, as he prepared to leave Huntingdon State Correctional Facility where he had been wrongfully confined for over 40 years, Subu was picked up by ICE and transferred to an immigration detention center.
On April, 2 2026, an immigration judge ruled that Subu has earned the right to remain in the United States citing Subu's decades of exemplary service and good moral character. Despite this strongly worded decision, DHS chose to appeal.
Subu was 21-years-old at the time of his wrongful conviction. He is 65 years old today, and he remains confined at the Moshannon Valley Detention Center.
SUBU'S LIFE IN PRISON
For four decades, Subu found a way to lead a productive life in service of his community. He has received both local and national recognition for his work in prison literacy, in inmate-sponsored fundraisers for youth offender rehabilitation, and in his prison jobs.
He has been recognized and commended more than 51 times for his volunteer service, from work on the annual Runathon to benefit incarcerated youth, to leadership of the Literacy Council and Family Literacy Project, to participation in the PA Lifer's Association and in university research. He has helped scores of inmates to complete their high school degrees.
Subu has completed three degrees by correspondence, with magna cum laude honors, including an MBA, with a 4.0 GPA. He is the first inmate in the State Prison in over 150 years to achieve a graduate degree while incarcerated. He follows local and international current events, meditates and does yoga daily, and has amassed an impressive reading list. While incarcerated, he lived on the Honor Block in an 8x6 cell.
GROWING SUPPORT FOR SUBU
Subu has the unwavering support, respect, and admiration of his family. After 34 years of visiting him weekly in prison, Subu’s mother passed away in 2016. His father, Dr. K. Vedam, Professor Emeritus, Physics, passed away in September, 2009.
Subu is now a thoughtful 64-year-old man, who deeply values his occasional meetings with his elders, cousins, sister, and nieces. He has a vast and active correspondence list, keeping in touch through letters, emails, and phone calls as he is able. While incarcerated, he'd speak with his sister or nieces daily in 15-minute permitted calls.
Throughout his 44 year ordeal, Subu declined plea bargains and maintains his innocence. Twice during trial proceedings, Subu was offered plea bargains. He declined because of his strong desire to clear his name.
In August 2025, a Judge in the Centre County court of common pleas found that Subu's constitutional right to a fair trial had been violated by the suppression of material evidence. Subu's conviction was vacated and subsequently the District Attorney dropped all charges. Subu is currently held in an ICE detention center and is pursuing relief in immigration court.
An Important Message From Subu’s Family
Subu and his family remain acutely aware of the pain and heartache of the family and friends of Tom Kinser, the 19-year-old victim of the unsolved murder of which Subu was wrongfully convicted. They extend their sincere compassion to all those who loved Tom Kinser, acknowledging that a new hearing undoubtedly causes additional pain as they are asked to revisit their terrible loss. However, Subu’s continued incarceration for a crime he did not commit does not provide justice for Tom Kinser, his family, or his friends, and in fact, prevents the truth of the case from coming to light. By continuing to pursue the truth and justice for Subu, Subu’s family is hopeful that they will contribute to a stronger, more effective, and more equitable legal system for all.