Kristine Bunch languished behind bars for more than 17 years after she was arrested and charged with setting a fire that claimed the life of her three-year-old son, Anthony, on June 30, 1995. On March 21, 2012, the court reversed the conviction based on evolving and more reliable fire science and because undisclosed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) evidence contradicted trial testimony which argued that Bunch had started the fire. Bunch, who had earned undergraduate degrees in English and anthropology from Ball State University in prison, was freed 17 years after her wrongful arrest. She walked out of the Decatur County Jail into the arms of her family, who had steadfastly supported her throughout her ordeal. Eight days before Christmas 2012, the prosecution dropped all charges. Kristine Bunch has changed the narrative concerning compensation for every exoneree and the inclusion of new evidence for innocence claims.