Woman wrongly convicted in Beatrice six case passes away

BEATRICE - A woman who was one of six people wrongly convicted in the 1985 "Beatrice Six" murder case has passed away. 

Kathleen "Kathy" Gonzalez of York died on January 10 while visiting Greeley, Colorado, according to her obituary. She passes away at the age of 62. 

"She faced adversity that never really left her alone, yet she always refused to let it define her," her obituary said.

Gonzalez was one of six individuals that became known as the "Beatrice 6" and spent over 70 years in prison collectively for the rape and murder of 68-year-old Helen Wilson. They became the first people exonerated by DNA evidence after being convicted in 2008. Wilson's murder was later linked to former Beatrice resident and ex-con Bruce Allen Smith who had died in 1992. 

The six wrongly-convicted individuals sued Gage County after their release from prison, saying the jury ran a reckless investigation. A federal jury awarded them $28.1, plus fees, totaling to more than $30-million. 

Gonzalez recently appeared on HBO's special "Mind Over Murder" that explained the story of the Beatrice Six.