Michigan Woman’s Thrift Store Chat Turns Shocking When Retired Secret Service Agent Reveals 21-Year Wrongful Prison Sentence
MICHIGAN — A woman’s routine stop at a thrift store in Michigan took an unbelievable turn when she met a man who revealed he had been a retired Secret Service agent — and had spent 21 years in prison for a double murder he didn’t commit.
TikTok creator Olivia Boblet (@oliviaboblet) shared the viral story, which has now earned more than 530,000 views, detailing how a casual shopping trip turned into an encounter that left her speechless.
A Conversation That Took a Shocking Turn
Boblet said she met an older man inside the store who suggested she check out the Christmas section next door. After shopping for about 30 minutes, she returned to her car — only to find the same man parked beside her.
Though cautious at first, she chatted with him as he spoke about collecting coins and dollar bills. Then, he dropped a bombshell: he had guarded a U.S. president and later served 21 years in prison for a double murder.
Startled, Boblet asked, “Why did you do that?” The man calmly replied, “The catch is, Olivia — I didn’t do it.”
Discovering His Identity
Once she got home, Boblet looked him up and found he was telling the truth. Many believe the man is Jeff Titus, a Battle Creek, Michigan native and former Secret Service officer who worked on President Richard Nixon’s security team.
Titus was wrongfully convicted in 2002 of murdering two deer hunters near his farm in Kalamazoo County in 1990. He was freed in 2023 after evidence showed another man, serial killer Thomas Dillon, was responsible.
Titus, now 71, received over $1 million in compensation and has since dedicated his life to art, creating thousands of greeting cards while behind bars.
@oliviaboblet Learn something new every day☺️👏🏼 #storytime
A Reminder About Justice and Human Connection
Boblet later reflected that the chance encounter changed how she sees strangers. “Sometimes, just listening to someone can make a huge difference,” she said.
Her story has also reignited awareness about wrongful convictions — with more than 3,000 exonerations recorded in the U.S. since 1989, according to the Equal Justice Initiative.
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