The Tragedy of Subu Vedam: A Life Stolen Twice?

Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam, now 64, has an immigration story that feels, at first, like many others. Vedam arrived in the U.S. as a 9-month-old infant in 1962, performed well in school, and then enrolled at Penn State University for college, where he also worked as a lab technician. 

His biggest mistake according to the law, apart from being born Indian, was to have asked his friend, classmate, and former roommate Thomas “Tom” Kinser for a ride on one fateful day in December 1980. Tom obliged. But soon after, he went missing. Nine months later, in September 1981, his body was found with a bullet through his head. Police arrested Vedam, who was then only 20. Prosecutors denied him bail, and even concealed critical evidence. Vedam’s fate was nearly sealed: in February 1983, an all-white jury declared him guilty of first-degree murder. Exactly five years later, after a retrial was granted, yet another all-white jury declared the same verdict.

It would take decades before the court admitted new evidence that led the district attorney to finally exonerate Vedam earlier this month — after over 40 years in jail. But his ordeal is far from over. Now, ICE has detained Vedam for a 1988 deportation order. His story has made headlines yet again, for shedding light on racism and injustice not just in the 1980s, but how it has endured to the present day. Will this time be any different?