
Carter, considered a folk hero by many and immortalized in film and song, had been battling prostate cancer for nearly three years, Artis said. He died at home in Toronto, where he had been living since he was released from prison in 1985.
"Those who are wrongfully incarcerated lost a champion," Artis said. "He dedicated his life to helping the people that need the same kind of assistance that we needed, who have been wrongfully convicted and incarcerated."
His career was already in decline in 1966, when he was arrested and charged in a June triple murder in Paterson, New Jersey. He was convicted for the shootings along with Artis, a hitch-hiker he had picked up on the night of the murders.
Carter's case exploded into national consciousness in 1974, when two key witnesses recanted their testimony, sparking a series of stories by the New York Times and making him a cause célèbre for the civil rights movement, and prompting Bob Dylan to release "Hurricane".
He was retried in 1976 and convicted again.
"We have freed more than 20 people in the last 15 or 20 years - he played a huge role in that," said James Lockyer, senior counsel to AIDWYC and a founding director of the organization along with Carter.
After his break with AIDWYC, Carter continued to advocate for the wrongly convicted and also worked as a motivational speaker. He remained close friends with Artis, the man with whom he was convicted.