Biography
Leon Benson is a musician and prisoner-rights organizer who was wrongfully imprisoned in Indiana for the murder of Kasey Schoen. Arrested on August 14, 1998, he was convicted in July 1999 and sentenced to sixty years. A joint investigation by the University of San Francisco Racial Justice Clinic and the Marion County Conviction Integrity Unit uncovered police evidence pointing to another suspect that had not been disclosed to his defense. His conviction was vacated in March 2023, and he left Pendleton Correctional Facility on March 9.
During his imprisonment, Benson spent a decade in solitary confinement. He describes his prolonged isolation as retaliation for organizing and pursuing legal challenges. He later helped develop writing and mentoring programs for other incarcerated men and campaigned for clemency during the COVID-19 pandemic. He records music as El Bently 448 and continues to advocate for people in prison.
