By Sherman Desselle

HARVEY, La. —

On a chilly Thursday evening in Harvey, Malcolm Alexander plays a game of catch with his black female Labrador, Innocence.

Alexander is jumping for joy just like his dog after hearing about her newest accomplishment. For the second year in a row, Innocence will be a part of the Krewe of Barkus parade. This year, she is the Princess Royale.

“Last year was thrilling and exciting. This year, it’s going to be more thrilling and exciting,” Alexander said. “I can’t wait for the moment.”

A little over two years ago, both Alexander and his dog were serving time at Angola.

Alexander was arrested in 1980 for a 1979 rape that he did not commit. According to the Innocence Project New Orleans, he was given an ineffective trial lawyer and the eyewitness procedure was unreliable. In 2017, a DNA test proved Alexander’s innocence, and Judge June Berry Darensburg vacated his conviction. Malcolm was exonerated in January 2018 after serving 38 years in prison.

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