DaytonDailyNews.com

Clarence Elkins, who was wrongly convicted of the 1998 rape and murder of his mother-in-law, is seeking to divorce his wife, Melinda, who fought for his release from prison.

Elkins filed for divorce last week in Stark County, where he lives. The couple has been living apart since shortly after his release from prison in December.

Earlier this year, Melinda Elkins moved to Montgomery County and became engaged to Patrick Dawson.

Melinda was the subject of a four-day series in the Dayton Daily News about her 7½ year struggle to free her husband and bring her mother's real killer to justice.

In August, Melinda broke up with Dawson, accused him of assault and returned to Clarence, but the reunion was short-lived. Melinda said she was under the influence of prescribed pain medication when she made the accusation against Dawson. She has since returned to Montgomery County.

"I was literally out of my mind. I don't even remember a lot of the last month," she said Thursday. "Patrick and his family have forgiven all that and we're moving on. What a wonderful family to forgive all that and embrace me."

Dawson faces a misdemeanor assault charge in Kettering Municipal Court, but said he's hoping the case will be dropped.

Melinda Elkins had been seeking dissolution of her 25-year marriage.

The Elkins' case garnered national media attention. Clarence was finally freed when DNA from a cigarette butt snatched from another prison inmate — someone the family considered a suspect — matched DNA from the crime.

People magazine is expected to publish a story on Elkins in its Oct. 2 issue, and negotiations are under way to make it into a feature film, Melinda said.

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1624 or lbischoff@DaytonDailyNews.com.