Published On 23/10/2025
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Last update: 16:41 (Mecca time)
The family of a man from the US state of Pennsylvania is experiencing a new shock after the authorities recently released him after he was acquitted of a murder for which he had been imprisoned for more than 4 decades. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement re-detained him again in preparation for his deportation to India, even though he had lived in the United States since he was an infant.
The public prosecutor dropped murder charges against 64-year-old Subramaniam “Subu” Vaidham a few weeks ago after he spent more than 40 years behind bars following a conviction that was later overturned.
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But once he was released, immigration authorities rearrested him, citing a 1988 deportation order, which in turn was based on no longer valid criminal convictions that had been overturned by the courts.
His family says that what is happening is a “double injustice,” as the man is being detained today due to a criminal record that has been officially dropped.
A case that began in 1980
The roots of the case go back to 1980, when 19-year-old college student Tom Kinser went missing. Nine months after his disappearance, his body was found in a nearby wooded area, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
Kinser and Vedam were classmates, and they lived together for a short time as roommates. On the day of his disappearance, Vidam asked Kincer for a ride, according to what was stated in the investigation file. Days later, Kinser’s car was found parked in its usual location, without anyone witnessing its return.
Later, Vaidham, a native of India who arrived in the United States when he was only 9 months old, was charged with murder, his passport and green card were confiscated, and his application for bail was denied as a “flight-possible alien.”
Convicted and imprisoned for life
In 1983, Vidam was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. One year later, a sentence of between two and a half and five years was added to him on a drug-related charge, after a plea deal, with the two sentences to be served together.
During his long years of imprisonment, Vidam maintained his innocence, and continued to appeal the ruling on the grounds that the case relied on circumstantial and weak evidence. In 2021, new evidence emerged in the Kinser murder case, opening the door to re-examining the case.
After reviewing the evidence, the district attorney dropped the charges permanently in October 2025, announcing that he would not seek to retry Vaidham, ending one of the longest criminal cases in state history.
From acquittal to detention
But the family’s joy did not last long. Days after his release, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Vaidham again, based on an old deportation order.
In a statement published by the Miami Herald newspaper, the agency described Vidam as a “career criminal with a criminal record dating back to 1980,” noting that he “was also convicted of smuggling controlled substances.”
For her part, defense lawyer Ava Benach denied these allegations, stressing that her client is still a legal permanent resident of the United States, and that he was on his way to obtaining American citizenship when he was arrested in 1982.
Benach told USA Today that Sobo “has lived in the United States since he was an infant. This is his only country. Now that his innocence has finally been proven, he is treated as a stranger.”
Extensive family support
Vaidham’s family is anxiously awaiting the fate of the case, while he is currently being held at the Moshannon Valley Center, an immigration detention center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania.
Zoe Miller-Vidham, his niece, said in statements reported by American newspapers, “All we want is for him to return home, to start a new life after everything he has endured. He has suffered enough.”
During his long years in prison, Vaidam left a remarkable record of academic achievements, as he obtained 3 university degrees via correspondence with high honors, including a Master’s in Business Administration with an excellent grade.
His family says Vidam became the first inmate in the Pennsylvania state prison system in more than 150 years to be able to earn a college degree while in prison.
“Instead of giving up hope, he invested his time in education,” adds Zoe Miller-Weidham. “He tried to make something meaningful out of the years of injustice.”
Although the court overturned all of the convictions on which the old deportation order was based, ICE has not yet overturned the decision. The family fears that the delay in reviewing the file will lead to his detention for months or even his deportation before the procedures are completed.