TOO MANY WRONGFULLY CONVICTED - The Innocence Project

JERRY WATKINS • 2000 ERIC SARSFIELD • 200013.5 YEARSLARRY YOUNGBLOOD20009.5 YEARS 9 YEARSROY CRINER • 2000 EARL WASHINGTON200010 YEARS 17 YEARSINDIANA MASSACHUSETTS ARIZONA TEXAS VIRGINIAA jailhouse snitchclaimed that JerryWatkins confessed tothe rape and murder ofWatkins’s sister-in-law.Three witnessestestified that the snitchadmitted he was lying.LLY CONVICTEDAlso, DNA testingsuggested that Watkinswas not the perpetrator.Nevertheless, Watkinsserved over 13 yearsin prison before DNAtesting conclusivelyproved his innocence.Eric Sarsfield wasconvicted of rapebased largely on aless-than-certainidentification by thevictim who sawSarsfield three monthsafter the crime. Yearslater, DNA testing wasconducted on severalpieces of biologicalevidence. On his 37thbirthday, Sarsfieldlearned that DNA hadproven his innocence.No biological testingwas conducted inLarry Youngblood’scase because policehad improperly storedthe evidence and ithad degraded. He wasreleased on appealbut returned to prisonin 1993 when thestate Supreme Courtreinstated his sexualassault, childmolestation andkidnapping convictions.In 2000, DNAtechnology advancesallowed degradedevidence in the caseto be tested and theresults exoneratedYoungblood.Although the resultsexcluded him,post-conviction DNAtesting was notdeemed sufficient bythe prosecution toexonerate Roy Crinerof aggravated sexualassault. Criner thensought DNA testing ona cigarette butt foundnext to the victim’sbody. A genetic profileemerged that matchedboth spermatozoa andthe cigarette butt,and Criner was finallypardoned.With a general IQ inthe range of 69,Earl Washingtoncompensated for hiscognitive limitations bypolitely deferring toauthority figures. Whenpolice questioned himabout a rape andmurder, he confessedto the crime as well asfive others. Four ofthese confessionswere dismissed, butWashington wassentenced to death forthe fifth. Many yearslater, DNA testingaffirmed Washington’sinnocence.Many were denied parole because, in part,16 | Innocence Project