Forty-eight years after he was convicted of rape, DNA evidence has exonerated Leonard Mack. Westchester, New York, District Attorney Mimi Rocah apologized to Mack, who spent seven years in prison, for the “incalculable damage and the collateral consequences” that the false conviction brought. The rape victim, and a friend who was with her but escaped, told police the attacker was a black man with an earring wearing a brimmed hat. Cops found Mack about five miles away from the crime scene and brought the victim’s friend to him. They asked her if Mack, who was handcuffed and surrounded by cops, was the rapist, but she said his clothes didn’t match what the rapist was wearing. So, they gave Mack different clothes, and she positively identified him. The victim said she did not clearly see her attacker, but the friend’s identification reportedly helped persuade jurors of his guilt.
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