According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the term "confession" means "a written or oral acknowledgement of guilt by a party accused of an offense." So why would anyone confess guilt when they are not responsible for the crime? It's hard to believe, but it occurs on a regular basis. Here are some of the more news-worthy false confessions that have happened in recent and past history.
The Central Park Jogger
On April 19, 1989, a woman was brutally raped and beaten in New York City's Central Park. Left for dead, the police investigation confirmed that the suspects were a gang of teenagers who were taking part in an activity called "wilding." Many suspects were identified as being in the area during the attack, but only five were brought to trial. Their ages were between 14 and 16. All five confessed to the crime and implicated each other. However, within weeks, all five retracted their statements and claimed that they had been coerced into making a false confession.
The twist in this case was that the DNA evidence from the suspects did not match what was found at the scene, so the prosecution rested almost entirely on the confessions. That's all the jury needed. All five suspects were convicted of the 1989 attack and received sentences between seven and 13 years. Unfortunately, most of the suspects had served their time before a man in 2002, named Matias Reyes, came forward and admitted to the crime. Reyes was a convicted rapist and murderer and was serving a life sentence for other crimes at the time. Once DNA evidence confirmed that Reyes committed the crimes, all five defendants were cleared of their charges.
