6. The Central Park Five (1989)
In 1989, five Black and Hispanic teenagers—Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise—were wrongfully convicted of the assault and rape of a white jogger in New York City’s Central Park. Despite recanting their coerced confessions, they were sentenced to prison terms ranging from five to 13 years. In 2002, DNA evidence and a confession from the actual perpetrator, Matias Reyes, led to their exoneration. This case ignited nationwide debates about wrongful convictions, racial bias, and juvenile justice, prompting reforms in interrogation practices and the criminal justice system. (history.com)
