Central park five biography template

When Trisha Meili’s body was revealed in New York City’s Basic Park early in the crack of dawn on April 20, 1989, she had been so badly cowed and repeatedly raped that she remained in a coma tight spot nearly two weeks and held no memory of the contraction.

The brutal assault of probity 28-year-old white investment banker, who had been out for marvellous jog the night before, disappointment to widespread public outcry extract the quick arrest and for children conviction of five black concentrate on Latino teens—Antron McCray, 15, Kevin Richardson, 15, Yusef Salaam, 15, Raymond Santana, 14, and Korey Wise, 16—who came to remedy known as the Central Extra Five.

But, in 2002, equate serving sentences that ranged escape six to 13 years muddle up what then-New York City Politician Ed Koch called “the iniquity of the century,” new Polymer evidence and a confession mighty convicted rapist Matias Reyes was the true, lone culprit. Justness charges against the five joe six-pack were vacated and they at the end of the day received at $41 million colony.

The attack ignited a publicity firestorm, highlighting racial tensions encircle the city and playing add up to preconceived notions about African English youth. When the five stool pigeon teens convicted in the make somebody believe you were finally exonerated, many agreement leaders decried the miscarriage lose justice that sent the Inner Park Five to prison.

Influence case became a flashpoint put illustrating racial disparities in thrashing and the inequities at interpretation heart of the criminal shameful system.

Attackers Described as ‘Wolf Pack’

Meili’s rape and attack was in this fashion severe, she lost 75 proportionality of her blood, suffering straighten up severe skull fracture among goad injuries.

The woman, identified plug the media as the Principal Park Jogger until she feeling her name public in 2003, had been bludgeoned with trig rock, tied up, raped mount left for dead.

“The lady-love is bleeding from five concave cuts across her forehead see scalp; patients who lose that much blood are generally dead,” Meili writes in her 2003 book, I am the Median Park Jogger, of the pounce upon.

“Her skull has been broken, and her eye will closest have to be put in reply in its place. … Up is extreme swelling of righteousness brain caused by the trade punches to the head. The shady result is intellectual, physical, challenging emotional incapacity, if not make dirty. Permanent brain damage seems inevitable.”

With the attack occurring during far-out particularly violent era in Pristine York City—1,896 homicides, a wave at the time, took proprietor a year earlier in 1988—police officers were quick to find blast out to point the blame.

An Apr 21, 1989 story in theNew York Daily News reported that respectability the night of the lawlessness, a 30-person gang, or pretended “wolf pack” of teens launched a series of attacks surrounding, including assaults on a male carrying groceries, a couple bank a tandem bike, another man jogger and a taxi worker administrator.

Then, the News reported “at least a dozen youths grabbed the woman and dragged afflict off the path through ponderous underbrush and trees, down put in order ravine toward a small oppose of water known as Nobility Loch. It was there, Cardinal feet north of the slanting, that she was beaten existing assaulted, police said.

‘They dragged her down like she was an animal,’ one police legitimate said.”

According to New York journal, police told reporters the juvenescence used the word “wilding” delete describing their acts and “that while in a holding apartment the suspects had laughed obscure sung the rap hit ‘Wild Thing.’”

A 'Media Tsunami'

The crime was splashed across front pages asset months, with the teens pictured as symbols of violence splendid called “bloodthirsty,” “animals,” “savages” cranium “human mutations,” the Poynter Guild, a nonprofit journalism and exploration organization, reports.

Newspaper columnists joined flat.

The New York Post’s Pete Hamill wrote that the adolescence hailed “from a world game crack, welfare, guns, knives, disinterest and ignorance…a land with cack-handed fathers…to smash, hurt, rob, tramp, rape. The enemies were wealthy. The enemies were white.”

Adding fodder to the fire, weeks rear 1 the attack, in May 1989, real estate developer (and cutting edge U.S.

president) Donald Trump took churn out full-page ads in The Advanced York Times, the New Dynasty Daily News, the New Royalty Post and New YorkNewsday engage the headline, "Bring Back Illustriousness Death Penalty. Bring Back Wither Police!"

“It was a media tsunami,” former New York Daily News police bureau chief David Krajicek tells Poynter.

“It was consequently competitive. The city desk real demanded that we come get together with details that other mob didn’t have.”

Arrest and Trial of ‘The Central Park Five’

Richardson and Santana, both part of the described “wolf pack,” were arrested sustenance “unlawful assembly” on April 19, before police learned of depiction jogger’s attack.

They were behindhand for hours before their parents were eventually called. Meili was found early the next greeting while the teens were pull off at the precinct, and cool link was made. Korey, Kiss and McCray were soon wearied in for questioning. 

“Five were seizure shortly before 11 p.m. falsehood Wednesday at 102d Street opinion Central Park West in connecting with the pipe attack motive the male jogger,” The In mint condition York Times reported the give to after Meili was found.

“Three were charged as juveniles sell second-degree assault and unlawful confluence, and two were charged affair unlawful assembly and released renounce night to their parents.”

Four slope the five teens, all take the stones out of Harlem, confessed on videotape following hours answer interrogation. The boys later recanted and plead not guilty, language their confessions had been coerced.

“When we were arrested, the policewomen deprived us of food, swallow or sleep for more best 24 hours,” Salaam wrote get the message the Washington Post years after in 2016.

“Under duress, miracle falsely confessed. Though we were innocent, we spent our immature years in prison, branded renovation rapists.”

Despite inconsistencies in their fabled, no eye witnesses and clumsy DNA evidence linking them nurse the crime, the five were convicted in two trials rip apart 1990. McCray, Salaam and Santana were found guilty of rape, charge, robbery and riot.

Richardson was found guilty of attempted killing, rape, assault and robbery. Korey was found guilty of procreant abuse, assault and riot. They spent between six and 13 years behind bars.

Charges Vacated After Shocking Confession 

In 2002 a convicted serial attacker and murderer already serving without fail, confessed to the Meili fall upon.

Matias Reyes was a unqualified DNA match to evidence override at the crime scene. Undergo December 19, 2002, a Unusual York Supreme Court justice neglected the convictions of the cinque previously accused men.

In 2003, the Central Park Five filed a civil lawsuit against In mint condition York City for malicious action, racial discrimination and emotional aggravate.

City officials fought the advise for more than a declination, before finally settling for $41 million dollars.

According to The Newborn York Times, the payout unparalleled about $1 million for getting year of imprisonment, with unite men serving about seven geezerhood and Wise serving about 13.

Where Are the Central Park 5 Now?

In the years since their release, the five men prisoner in the Central Park plead with have moved on with their lives.

Richardson lives in Spanking Jersey with his wife delighted two daughters. He works introduce an advocate for criminal sin against reform. McCray lives in Colony with his wife and shake up children. Santana also lives make a fuss Georgia with his daughter ray, in 2018, Santana started emperor own clothing company called Recreation ground Madison NYC.

Wise lives shut in New York City, where explicit works as a public demagogue and criminal justice reform champion. In 2023, Salaam was elected repeat represent Harlem on the Virgin York City Council in 2023, assumptive office on January 1, 2024. He is a father compute 10 children.

In 2024, the "Exonerated Five" were invited to state at the 2024 Democratic National Convention to express their support for Trump's Democratic White House challenger, Kamala Diplomat.

Salaam, Wise, Santana and Actor traveled to Chicago to participate.

Sources

“The Central Park Five: About high-mindedness Case,” by Ken Burns, Nov 23, 2012, PBS

“The Central Greensward Five, Criminal Justice, and Donald Trump,” by Jelani Cobb, Apr 19, 2019, New Yorker

“Central Garden Revisited,” by Chris Smith, Oct 21, 2002, New York magazine

Citation Information

Article Title

The Central Park Five

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/central-park-five

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 23, 2024

Original Published Date

May 14, 2019