Subramanyam "Subu" Vedam, aged 64, was released from Huntingdon State Prison in Pennsylvania on the morning of October 3, 2025, after his conviction for a murder he did not commit was overturned. According to the Miami Herald, moments after stepping out and expecting to reunite with his loved ones, Vedam was instead apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents due to a decades-old deportation order.
The exoneration followed a court's finding that the prosecution had withheld evidence that could have dismantled their case: an FBI report and handwritten notes revealed that the bullet wound was too small for a .25 caliber ammunition, which was central to the prosecution's argument. In August 2025, Judge Jonathan Grine ruled that this suppression had violated due process. Subsequently, in September, District Attorney Bernie Cantorna dropped the murder charge, deeming a new trial both impossible and unjust.
Vedam thus became the longest-serving exonerated prisoner in Pennsylvania's history. Yet, upon his release, ICE executed an old deportation order linked to the original case and a drug conviction from his youth, when he was convicted of attempting to distribute LSD at age 19. "Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, individuals with exhausted immigration remedies and outstanding deportation orders are prioritized for enforcement... [Vedam] will remain in custody while the agency arranges his deportation," ICE stated in an email to the Herald.
Vedam was subsequently transferred to the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in central Pennsylvania. His family, anticipating his return home after 43 years (he was arrested in 1982 and convicted in 1983 for a 1980 crime), expressed their dismay. "They are shocked by the prospect of him being sent to a country he doesn't know," said family spokesperson Mike Truppa, noting that Vedam was born in India, arrived in the U.S. at nine months old, and has all his family in the United States and Canada.
His niece, Zoë Miller Vedam, shared, "I'm not sure what expectations to hold. We certainly have hope... He spent the last 44 years imprisoned for a crime he did not commit." Zoë depicted Subu as a compassionate man who transformed his incarceration into a mission of service: he taught and mentored hundreds of inmates, raised funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters, completed several correspondence degrees, and became the first person in 150 years at the prison to earn a master's degree with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
"Instead of succumbing, he turned his unjust imprisonment into a means to serve others," said his sister, Saraswathi Vedam. For the family, deportation to India—a country he hasn't seen since infancy—would be devastating and extend the harm caused by his wrongful conviction.
Vedam's legal team has filed a motion to reopen his immigration case and requested a stay on the deportation while the motion is under consideration. The government has until October 24 to respond, according to the Herald.
Legal Challenges and Family's Hope
Vedam was arrested in 1982 for the murder of his friend Thomas Kinser, who was 19, in Centre County. The prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence and a theory of a .25 caliber gunshot—though the weapon was never recovered. The case remained stagnant for decades until, in 2022, the Pennsylvania Innocence Project unearthed undisclosed evidence in prosecutorial files that, according to Judge Grine, could have reasonably altered the jury's verdict.
With the charges dismissed, Vedam's team believed he would finally return home, but ICE's intervention kept him in federal custody. As the Herald reports, Vedam's immediate future hinges on the immigration court's decision: if it reopens the case and grants the stay, he could face proceedings out of custody; if not, ICE will proceed with the deportation order. Meanwhile, his family insists that, after a historic exoneration, justice would mean allowing him to reunite with his family in the United States.
Understanding the Legal and Immigration Implications
What led to Subramanyam Vedam's exoneration?
Vedam was exonerated after a court found that the prosecution had concealed evidence that contradicted their case, including an FBI report indicating that the bullet wound was too small for the alleged .25 caliber weapon.
Why was ICE involved in Vedam's case?
ICE detained Vedam based on a decades-old deportation order tied to his original case and a prior drug conviction. Despite his exoneration, the immigration order remains active.
What is the current legal status of Vedam's case?
Vedam's legal team has filed a motion to reopen his immigration case and requested a stay on his deportation. The government has until October 24 to provide a response.