Lamar Johnson was imprisoned for 28 years for a crime he did not commit. He did not give up hope, however, because he had a pen pal named Ginny Schrappen who wrote to him on a daily basis during his captivity. When he was finally free, the first person he wanted to see was Schrappen, who had been by his side the entire time.

A letter addressed to Mary, Mother of the Church in St. Louis County introduced Schrappen to Johnson. She chose to respond to Johnson’s letter after being charmed by his exquisite longhand script. Over the next two decades, the two became closer through snail mail writing, with each letter exposing more about themselves to the other.

Johnson was found guilty of first-degree murder in 1994, but he maintained his innocence. Despite the fact that the genuine perpetrators subsequently confessed, Johnson’s sentence was upheld. Johnson’s case was taken up by The Innocence Project, a non-profit group that analyzes closed cases in order to liberate innocent people from jail, and after many years of advocacy, he was ultimately released.

Despite being a mother of three and eventually a grandmother of two, Schrappen continued to write to Johnson and attend his court appearances throughout his trials and appeals. Schrappen’s encouragement and support helped Johnson preserve his optimism and sanity during his incarceration.

Johnson and Schrappen’s friendship extended beyond letter writing. Schrappen paid him visits in prison on occasion, which she described as making her “almost jump out of my skin.” When Johnson was ultimately released, he could spend time with Schrappen on an equal level because he was no longer confined by prison walls.

Johnson is not bitter about his experience, and he believes that harboring resentment is akin to exchanging one prison for another. He is grateful to those who battled persistently for his release, such as Schrappen and the Innocence Project. Schrappen encourages others to reach out to those in need of friendship, as it may mean more than they realize.

Finally, the story of Lamar Johnson and Ginny Schrappen exemplifies the power of human connection and resilience. Even in the face of almost insurmountable legal difficulties, they maintained their friendship through letters and occasional visits. Their narrative teaches us that hope and friendship can persist even in the darkest of situations.