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 harm and collateral consequences” of the false conviction. The rape victim and a friend who was with her but escaped told police the attacker was a black man wearing an earring and a brimmed hat. Police found Mack about five miles from the crime scene and brought the victim’s friend to him. They asked her if Mack, who was handcuffed and surrounded by officers, was the rapist, but she said his clothing did not match what the rapist was wearing. So they gave Mack a change of clothes, and she positively identified him. The victim said she did not see her attacker clearly, but the friend’s identification reportedly convinced jurors of his guilt.
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