Man wrongly imprisoned for 7 years for rape, now exonerated.
A Tale of Injustice: Man Exonerated After 47 Years
In a remarkable turn of events, Leonard Mack, a man who spent seven years in prison for a crime he always insisted he didn’t commit, has finally been exonerated through DNA testing.
Back in March 1976, Leonard Mack, then 72 years old, was wrongfully convicted of rape and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Despite maintaining his innocence throughout his incarceration, it wasn’t until 47 years later that DNA testing proved his innocence and identified the true perpetrator.
The Innocence Project, in collaboration with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit, played a crucial role in reviewing the evidence from Mack’s case. By utilizing a DNA profile developed from the evidence and uploading it into state and local DNA databases, they were able to identify the real culprit. This groundbreaking exoneration marks the longest wrongful conviction to be overturned based on DNA evidence.
However, DNA was not the sole factor in Mack’s exoneration. Eyewitness misidentification and misleading forensic testimony also played significant roles in his wrongful conviction.
A New Lease on Life
“I want to first thank God for this day,” Mack expressed after his exoneration. “Next, I want to thank the Innocence Project. Today has been a long time coming. I lost seven-and-a-half years of my life in prison for a crime I did not commit, and I have lived with this injustice hanging over my head for almost 50 years. It changed the course of my life — everything from where I lived to my relationship with my family. I never lost hope that one day… I would be proven innocent. Now the truth has come to light, and I can finally breathe. I am finally free.”
The incident that led to Mack’s wrongful conviction occurred on May 22, 1975, when two 12th-grade girls were walking home from school in Greenburgh, New York. They were approached by a black man in his early 20s, armed with a gun. He threatened their lives, blindfolded and gagged them, and subjected them to a horrifying ordeal. One of the girls was raped before the assailant fled the scene.
Despite the trauma they endured, the victims provided crucial descriptions of the perpetrator. The suspect was described as a black man in his early 20s, with short hair, no beard, and a medium build. He was wearing a black hat with a white brim, a gold earring in his left ear, black pants, and a tan jacket.
A few hours later, Leonard Mack was pulled over by a police officer. Coincidentally, he was wearing a black fedora and had a gold earring in his left ear. Although his clothing didn’t match the description, the officer informed him that he resembled the suspect. Mack vehemently denied any involvement and provided an alibi, stating that he had been with his girlfriend during the time of the attack, which she confirmed. However, a search of Mack’s vehicle led to the discovery of a .22 caliber handgun, similar to the one used in the rape.
Mack’s arrest led to a flawed identification process. One of the victims was brought to the scene, where Mack was handcuffed, in an attempt to identify him. Uncertain, she requested that the officers position him to match the suspect’s stance. Once they did, she identified him as the assailant. Later, she was shown a photo lineup that included Mack’s picture, which stood out due to its unique background. She chose his photo.
The other victim, who had limited vision, was also subjected to the same suggestive photo lineup. Although she couldn’t be certain, she selected Mack’s photo. Furthermore, she was shown Mack himself behind a one-way mirror, with the other victim present, who confirmed his identity as the assailant.
During the trial, three individuals provided an alibi for Mack, testifying that he was with them during the afternoon of the crime. Additionally, a defense expert testified that the sperm found on the victim’s rape kit excluded Mack as the perpetrator, as serological testing revealed that the assailant had blood type A, which Mack did not possess. However, a state expert incorrectly suggested that the victim herself could have been the source of this biological evidence.
Despite being ruled out forensically in 1976, before the existence of DNA evidence, it took nearly five decades for Mack to be exonerated through DNA testing.
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