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Did A High School Football Star Really Sexually Assault A Young Child? ‘Outcry’ Trailer Shines Light On Controversial Texas Case
The upcoming docu-series follows the story of Greg Kelley, whose promising football career was derailed after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old boy in 2013.
Greg Kelley was a high school football star in Texas getting ready to play college ball when he was accused of sexually assaulting a young boy in 2013. The next six years were a roller coaster: he was tried, convicted, and sentenced to 25 years in prison without the chance of parole before ultimately being exonerated.
The controversial case is the subject of Showtime's upcoming true crime project, "Outcry," directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Pat Kondelis. The trailer for the five-part docu-series, which was filmed over the course of three years, dropped Thursday.
A high school senior in Leander, Texas with a verbal commitment to play safety for the University of Texas at San Antonio upon graduation, Kelley's sterling reputation was thrown into question when a 4-year-old boy claimed that Kelley had sexually assaulted him in the summer of 2013. Shortly afterward, another boy came forward with a similar allegation, authorities recount in the trailer.
Though Kelley continued to maintain his innocence throughout his trial — even refusing a plea deal — he was found guilty of two counts of super aggravated sexual assault on July 16, 2014, according to The National Registry of Exonerations. He was sentenced to 25 years without parole.
But in a community where high school football, and its stars, are lionized, Kelley maintained strong support, even after his conviction. During the motion for a new trial, members of the town rallied behind him; demonstrations were marked by "Free GK" chants, as shown in the trailer.
In 2017, the case was reopened. Authorities determined that "credible" evidence suggested a new suspect may have committed the crimes, KVUE reported.
That year, Kelley was granted a $50,000 bond after a new judge determined that his due process rights were violated. In November 2019, six years after he was initially accused, Kelley's conviction was overturned.
The series features interviews with law enforcement, community members, as well as Kelley himself. A clip from the trailer – which suggests there are still doubts about the case – shows Kelley in his prison uniform talking on camera. When asked if he had ever taken a lie detector test during the investigation, he cryptically answers, "Yeah. I've passed every question but one."
"Outcry" will first premiere at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas on March 14 before its television premiere on the cable network Showtime on April 3.
