The wrongful conviction of Ronnie Long might appear shocking: No physical evidence, false testimony, a conflicting description of the suspect – then 44 years in prison for Long.
But experts and advocates aren’t surprised: They say U.S. prisons are filled with potentially thousands of innocent people. While Long’s case is particularly egregious, experts told USA TODAY some of the factors that led to his imprisonment are still causing wrongful convictions today.
Relatedly from the Intercept, “Crime Scene DNA didn’t match Marcellus Williams. Missouri may fast track his execution anyway.” (archived
Always remember, when you read stories like these, that the wrong done to the person who has been wrongfully convicted is only one aspect of the tragedy. The other aspect is that the investigators’ myopic focus on convicting this individual has allowed the actual murderer to remain free to kill again.