Finding my family after 44 years in prison | Close Up
1,915,190
Published 2019-12-31
We met Otis Johnson at a New York City shelter for ex-convicts where everyone was trying to get their feet back on the ground.
Otis had just got out of prison after serving a 44-year sentence for the attempted murder of a police officer. The last time he had seen his family was in May 1975.
When we first shared Otis's story of being reintroduced to the modern world, viewers were amazed by just how unfamiliar everything was to him. iPhones had replaced pay phones, Times Square was a wonder of modern technology, peanut butter and jelly were now sold together in one jar ... everything was new or starkly different.
Otis's story clearly resonated with the more than 15 million people who watched it on YouTube, and we wanted to show them what happened next.
Reconnecting with his family had always been an important dream for Otis, he always said he wanted to do that, but he had not gone to find them yet as he tried to understand this new world he was in.
So we went to Asbury Park in New Jersey with him to try to track down his family. All he had was a small box where he kept tattered old photos of family members. That was his only information.
"The only address I really have is Asbury Park," Otis told us. So we took the train there, not knowing what we would find.
What we did have to go by was Otis's memory. Once we arrived at the railway station and began walking around the streets, little things about his old home slowly came back to him: extended family members, friends, shops. He wanted to find his aunt, Dottie Moore and some other family, many of whom he said probably thought he was dead.
Otis's nervous energy was palpable as we walked down Pine Street, knocking on doors and asking strangers about Dottie Moore.
When we talked to Otis about his relationship with his family, his answers were complicated.
Otis was a devout Muslim who had once been a member of the Fruit of Islam - the enforcement wing of the Nation of Islam, once famously led by Malcolm X - in his younger days. He said he helped "clean up the streets", removing drug dealers.
"We wasn't [weren't] all bad," he would say.
But Otis said some of his family members did not buy that and he did not know if they would be happy to see him after all these years.
This final story on Otis Johnson is the story of a man on a quest to reunite with remnants of his past.
Filmmakers: Jenna Belhumeur & Elena Boffetta
Editor: Andrew Phillips
Audio: Linus Bergman & John Otimi
Assistant Producer: Ziad Ramley
Executive Producer: Yasir Khan
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All Comments (21)
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44 yrs in prison for attempted murder. Some people who have actually committed murder dont even get 10 yrs.
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man, the people on the street are nicer to him than his family is
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The 44 years in prison is painful, but the 40 seconds of talking to his coldhearted cousin is more agonizing.
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His uncle embraced him with open arms, so heartwarming. God bless this man that he has much happiness.
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Let him win the lottery and he won't have any trouble reuniting with his family.
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The Streets loved him more, than this fam did
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I feel for this man, he served an unbelievable amount of time to come out so seemingly at peace with the world.. I hope you’re still going strong in these tough times, OG, redemption is real.
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out of prison, wearing a long black jacket looking for people. this man is badass.
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I can see sorrow in his eyes. His smile couldn't hide his sorrow. Our criminal justice system fails to address the needs of people like Otis.
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I can relate. I have spent close to 20 years incarcerated. I didn’t have any family support inside or out. Before I went in childhood trauma played a factor in my path. I’ve been out for a few years, still no family support. In spite of that I have earned 2 degrees from the community college and I am now in 2021, I will have a bachelors. In stead of self destructing again, I push and push myself to succeed.
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He is a lone wolf, although it hurts, im sure he is proud to be free and alive, such a beautiful story
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I can only imagine being in this world without family, friends and love ones but this man didn’t give up on finding them 🙏🏽
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How can we help get this brother back on his feet? Im down to donate
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Don’t bother looking for your “family” they don’t want to be found. Rebuild your life and try to make the most of your life.
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Really nice story. Kudos to the filmmaker for helping this man reunite with people he knew.
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My oldest brother got sentenced to 18 years in jail when he was 15. I was 11 when this happened. I’m not 22 and still waiting. I understand the emotion his family must have gone through, and the joy of them seeing him made me emotional. Grief occurs on both sides
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As I see it, the saddest part of this story isn't even that he spent 44 years in prison. It's the fact that he can't even spend one night at his closest relatives house after being released. So sad.
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44 years, -No one have visited you -Your cousin weren't excited to talk to you -The minister politely kicked you out from his home. Welcome back, hope you don't miss those bars...
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I could watch this gentleman all day. He's very smart and just has one of those voices that you keep handing him books and asking him to read out loud.
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This was a joy to watch. I'm glad he found his family.
