After Decades in Prison Over Murders, DNA Evidence Frees 2 New York Men

CNN ^ | Sat February 8, 2014 | Ben Brumfield

[nickcarraway]

Two men behind bars for more than half their lives over a triple murder walked free this week after DNA evidence tore holes in their convictions.

Antonio Yarbough and Sharrif Wilson were teenagers when prison doors clanked shut behind them. Now, in their late 30s, they can hardly believe they're out.

What does freedom feel like? "I'm still going through it right now," Yarbough said Friday. DNA frees 2 men in N.Y. triple murder

"I haven't slept yet. I've been up for two days now. I have no words for it right now." Nearly 22 years of hard time

Imagine more than two decades in a maximum security prison. Add to that the fact that you're accused of killing your mother, your sister and your cousin.

As if that's not enough, you were the one who discovered their lifeless, bloodied bodies when you opened the door to your home one night.

If it's hard to imagine what that's like, Yarbough will tell you.

[VerySadAmerican]

I agree. And there are a lot of prosecutors who knowingly send people to prison or, even worse, to death row. When it’s proven that the prosectution and/or the police are guilty of mis-conduct in covicting an innocent man, they should be sentenced to the exact same sentence the innocent man got.

[Alberta's Child]

The article may be a bit confusing. The DNA that later exonerated them wasn’t used in the trial, and it only came up several years later when it was cross-matched from another case.

[Alberta's Child]

Look at the facts presented in that article. The defendant who lied was 15 years old at the time. Both the CNN article and a lot of the Freepers posting on this thread have painted a picture of the police and prosecutor sweating this kid to get a confession out of him, but I find that highly unlikely. For one thing, a minor can't make any agreements with the police or prosecutor without the consent of a parent or court-appointed guardian. The police can't even interrogate a minor alone, and any "confession" obtained this way would have been thrown out in court. Maybe the CNN people who covered this story should do a little digging to see what that uncovers.

Ten bucks says this kid had his mother down at the police station as soon as he was arrested, and SHE convinced him that it would be a good idea to throw his cousin under the bus.

[deport]

When did they find the orginal DNA? I’m saying if it was there under her nails when
she was found then it didn’t match either of the boys. Now I agree when they found a
match years later it was the item that cleared them. It seems to me a good defense
attorney would have hammered on the unknown DNA at the trial. JMO

[Alberta's Child]

Oh, OK -- Now I see what you were getting at.

That's a good point. I'm not sure if DNA was even being used in criminal trials in NYC back in 1992.

[dragnet2]

Threatened with death by the police? That's interesting.

Only interesting of if ya don't know how things work...

Police lie to and threaten people being interviewed daily, as a matter of routine...And have done so for hundreds of years.

This is nothing new.

[Nifster]

answer your phone Alex Jones needs to talk

[Arthur McGowan]

I was responding to a question, not to anything in the article.

The question was Why would anyone confess to a crime he didn’t commit?

And indeed, that’s what happened: He was threatened with the death penalty if he did not confess.

[Alberta's Child]

Maybe you're right, but I didn't see anything in this article (or any other media report) about that.

Check out Post #83 and see the strange set of circumstances surrounding this "confession." There's a lot more to this story than what's being reported here.

[reasonisfaith]

So there are only two possible positions to take on how to think of government?

The fringe radical conspiracy view or lock step worship?

[Fido969]

You’re barking up the wrong tree.

I don’t recall voting for any of these idiots. I hate the whole mess. Don’t blame me.

[PLMerite]

“This is a case that shows that when the facts can be mustered the innocent are released.”

I wonder how long the State stalled doing the DNA testing? The State hopes by stalling long enough the evidence will have deteriorated or been contaminated or lost.

Of course the flip side to this are the “innocence” projects that pick old cases where they demand a new trial knowing that witnesses have died or forgotten things, and then claim that the convict was “exonerated.”

Best that everyone just carry. No better proof of guilt than the dead perp at your feet.

[Nifster]

How in the heck do you take that from my comments????

This is why conversation is often times difficult. i did NOT post anything that suggests I am in LOCKSTEP with anything. Apparently reading comprehension is not your strong suit

[reasonisfaith]

I apologize if I misunderstood. Admittedly, my reading is not perfect.

I hope I’m not misunderstanding if I assume we both agree government officials are at least as vulnerable to failure and incompetency as private individuals. And probably more so, due to the inherent protection against accountability that comes with government employment.

[Nifster]

See we agree on so very much. Large bureaucracies tend to move very slowly, lack accountability of any sort, and suck the very life out of individuals. This is true for government as well as corporations and other organizations.

I fear we are closer to Germany of 1939 than the US of 1776.

I hope enough people wake up to the dangers.