The incredible story of Nick Yarris, the wrongly convicted British resident who spent 23 years on death row… and is now having a Netflix series made about him
After spending 8,057 days behind bars, Yarris was cleared by DNA evidence and released in 2004
A NEW Netflix drama will revolve around the incredible true story of a British resident who spent decades on death row for a crime he didn't commit.
Nick Yarris, 55, faced death by electric chair after being framed for the rape and murder of a woman in Pennsylvania, where he is from.
But the cleared inmate was innocent all along, and knew he had been falsely sentenced as he spent an agonising 23 years counting down the days until his execution.
After spending 8,057 days behind bars, Yarris was cleared by DNA evidence and released in 2004, but his chilling prison experience will stay with him to the grave.
Now the father-of-four is going to be the subject of a new Netflix drama, and has spoken out in great depth about his dark and terrifying experiences.
The American, who now lives Yeovil, Somerset, has written a harrowing book about his experiences, and recently appeared on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme to talk about a life spent waiting to die.
And his book, The Fear OF 13: Countdown to Execution: My Fight for Survival on Death Row, is going to be made into a Netflix drama as well as a movie, both based on his experiences on death row.
Yarris' nightmare ordeal started in 1981, when the then 19-year-old was arrested in a stolen car for jumping a red light.
The alcoholic and drug addict ended up in a scuffle with a policeman, whose gun was discharged during the brawl - leading to Yarris being charged with attempted murder.
Whilst he was in custody, the American teen read about the rape and murder of a young mum, and came up with a dishonest plan to bargain his way out of prison.
Yarris made up information about the attack, and accused a man, who he believed to be dead, of carrying out the rape and murder of fellow Pennsylvanian Linda Craig.
But his lies were quickly rumbled, and Yarris ended up accused of the murder himself, before being sentenced to death on flimsy evidence - despite his protested innocence.
Whilst in prison, Yarris was beaten by fellow inmates, and spent decades surrounded by murderers, rapists and cannibals.
The ordeal nearly drove him to suicide, but Yarris found solace in education, claiming he wanted to "make [his] mind beautiful."
Yarris said: "For more than 20 years my identity was bonded with those people.
"I cared about them. I believe life imprisonment is far worse than the death penalty."
And despite the trauma, the British resident has also previously said: "Prison was the best thing that happened to me.
"I have a photograph of the street gang I was in when I was a teenager. There were 27 of us, 26 are dead now.
"Death row saved my life.
"It taught me everything is a luxury to be treasured."