Sean K. Ellis was convicted in 1995 of the murder and robbery of Boston detective John J. Mulligan and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Age nineteen at the time of the crime, Sean always proclaimed his innocence. It took three trials to convict him; his first two trials ended with hung juries.

Sean was a childhood friend of author Elaine Alice Murphy’s son. Stricken to think the gentle boy she remembered would die in prison an innocent man, Murphy set out with Sean’s family and attorneys on a twenty-year quest to free him. She uncovered evidence of Boston police corruption that had tainted the Mulligan homicide investigation and Sean’s trials. Calling the discovery a “game changer,” the court ruled “justice was not done” and in 2015 overturned Sean’s convictions – after he’d spent more than half his life in prison.

In for Life follows this journey and recounts the close bond between Sean and Murphy that deepened over seventeen years of prison visits – a bond that became life changing for both.

Praise for In for Life

“This is the story of two remarkable journeys, one by a young Black man who was wrongly imprisoned for killing a Boston cop, the other by a middle-aged suburban white woman who fought for his freedom. In Elaine Murphy's masterful account, In for Life is both a searing indictment of the criminal ‘justice’ system and a testament to the power of human connection and personal resilience.”

-  Eileen McNamara, Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe journalist (retired); Chair of the Journalism Program, Brandeis University; author, Eunice: The Kennedy Who Changed the World.

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“Elaine Alice Murphy’s In for Life is a riveting and inspiring story that is hard to put down. Part investigative journalism, part memoir, and part murder mystery, her powerful accounting of the Sean Ellis story provides a realistic view of the uphill battle to achieve justice when faced with prosecutorial misconduct and the proverbial “blue shield.” Her excellent narrative intertwines a beautiful story of friendship, family, and connection between two people from opposite sides of the economic divide with her passion for justice and her deeply impactful journey of personal growth.

“In this time of racial reckoning, In for Life serves as a North Star for white allyship, providing a clear example of how to truly live your values in solidarity and leverage your privilege to work for justice. Elaine and Sean’s story is an inspiration for us all.”

-  Jackie Jenkins-Scott, President, Wheelock College (retired); author, The 7 Secrets of Responsive Leadership