The Exonerated Five

The Exonerated Five refers to a group of five Black teenagers who were wrongfully convicted in 1990 for the rape and assault of a white female jogger in New York's Central Park. Their names are Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, and Korey Wise. Despite coerced confessions and no physical evidence linking them to the crime, they were convicted and served several years in prison. In 2002, the real assailant confessed, and DNA evidence confirmed his guilt. The case highlights issues of racial injustice, wrongful convictions, and the flaws in the criminal justice system.