of a gastric disorder. He was 62 years old. Legacy The 1989 film True Believer is loosely based on Lee's retrial and acquittal, and the character of Shu Kai Kim in the film (played by Yuji Okumoto) is based on Lee, the character of Eddie Dodd in the film (played by James Woods) is based on Tony Serra. Jeff Adachi joined Lee's defense committee while Adachi was attending college and credits the case with sparking his eventual pursuit of a career in law. Free Chol Soo Lee, a documentary, was screened in January 2022 as part of the Sundance Film Festival. The film was directed and produced by Julie Ha and Eugene Yi under the working title An American Prisoner, with Su Kim receiving an additional producer credit. It was selected by The Better Angels Society as the runner-up for the 2021 Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, behind Gradually, Then Suddenly. See also List of wrongful convictions in the United States References Sources Further reading External links Kyung Won Lee Papers Relating to the Chol Soo Lee Case Digital Projects, University of California, Davis Library Kyung Won Lee Center 1952 births 2014 deaths Asian-American-related controversies South Korean emigrants to the United States Wrongful convictions