Coerced by police into a murder confession as a teenager, Brooklyn man David McCallum was finally released today after serving 29 years behind bars.
McCallum sobbed in court when his murder conviction was vacated on Wednesday, his head down on the Brooklyn Supreme Court defense table, according to New York Daily News.
“I’m very, very happy but also very sad…My life kind of starts from this day on,” 45-year-old McCallum told reporters.
https://twitter.com/williamcander/status/522480584250384385
McCallum’s innocence was the theme of a documentary that was released last year, titled ‘David and Me.’ Overturning his conviction even became the dying wish of famed boxer Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter, who was also wrongfully convicted for a triple murder and served 19 years in jail.
Back in October 1985, two 16-year-old, African-American teenagers – McCallum and Willie Stuckey – were arrested after Nathan Blenner was found shot dead in a Brooklyn park. Witnesses in Queens told police they had seen two men push Blenner into his Buick Regal and drive away.
Despite not matching the descriptions of the suspects, McCallum and Stuckey were arrested by police. Once in custody, the two both gave confessions naming each other as the gunman, but soon afterwards began asserting their innocence. The teenagers were ultimately convicted of kidnapping, armed robbery, and murder, and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
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