Exonerated US death row inmate turned campaigner dies in Galway house fire

By Rebecca Black and Cillian Sherlock, PA

Sadness has been expressed after former US death row inmate turned campaigner Sunny Jacobs died following a fire in Ireland.

The 77-year-old yoga teacher who was originally from New York was found dead following the blaze at the Sunny Healing Centre in rural Co Galway.

She spent 17 years in prison in the US, a number of them on death row, following a conviction for murder.

Ms Jacobs was released in 1992 after her sentence and imprisonment were quashed.

Gardaí said emergency services were alerted to the incident at Gleann Mhic Mhuireann in Casla at around 6.20am on Tuesday.

Gardaí said the bodies of a woman aged in her 70s and a man in his 30s were recovered from inside the home after the blaze was brought under control by firefighters.

They have also appealed for any witnesses to come forward.

“Both bodies were taken to the mortuary at University Hospital Galway for post-mortem examinations, while the scene was preserved for a technical probe,” they said.

“The results of the post-mortem examinations will inform the direction of garda inquiries.”

A statement on Ms Jacobs’ campaign website confirmed she had died in the incident, along with her caretaker.

“We don’t have many details at this time, but investigation is ongoing and our contacts in Galway are providing us with information as it comes in,” they said.

“Sunny was a fierce advocate for justice and a guiding light for many.

“As someone who survived wrongful conviction – including five years in solitary confinement under a sentence of death, and 17 years of imprisonment total – she knew the difficulties of incarceration and the struggle to regain one’s footing after being exonerated and released.”

They said that Ms Jacobs, along with her late husband Peter Pringle, established The Sunny Centre to help other exonerees through the difficult process of building new lives after being released from prison.

“Together, they brought many exonerees to the centre in Ireland to help them process their trauma and move forward to the next steps of their healing,” they said.

“During and after the pandemic, they continued to support and counsel exonerees remotely by video and phone.

“After Peter’s passing in 2022, Sunny continued the work of The Sunny Centre. She hosted exonerees and started a training programme for those who wanted to carry forward her vision to establish similar centres for exonerees within their communities.”

The statement concluded: “Fair winds and full sails on your crossing, Sunny. Your memory is a blessing to us.”