Thomas Haynesworth (born March 21, 1965) is an African-American man from Richmond, Virginia, who served 27 years in state prison as a result of four wrongful convictions for crimes for which he was exonerated in 2011. One of the cases in the series features Thomas Haynesworth, a Richmond, Va. man who was wrongfully convicted of rape in 1984. Semen collected from the first attack implicated the neighbor and ruled out Haynesworth. Unlike the previous five episodes of The Innocence Files, how much Haynesworth received in compensation from was not revealed. Thomas Haynesworth is a resident of Richmond, Virginia, who served 27 years in state prison as a result of four wrongful convictions for crimes for which he was exonerated in 2011. As of December 2012, he was still working in Cuccinellis office. New true-crime documentary series The Innocence Files dropped on Netflix earlier this month. 1 As the first deaf person to star in a television role, Deanne Bray (as she was then known) paved the way for other non-hearing actors. RICHMOND, Va. -- It's been 10 years since Thomas Haynesworth was exonerated for a crime he didn't commit. With the help of the Innocence Project, two commonwealth's attorneys, and Attorney General Cuccinelli, Haynesworth . Thomas Haynesworth Married. The Innocence Project estimates that his payment will be approximately $37,000 for each year Haynesworth spent in prison. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. This is less than the federal standard. Haynesworth maintained his innocence throughout the years of incarceration. Haynesworth was awarded about a million dollars in damages for his wrongful imprisonment, which comes out to about $37,000 for each year he spent in prison. DNA evidence showed that the man, Thomas Haynesworth, could not have . All five victims identified him as their attacker, and he was sentenced to 74 years in prison. DNA evidence later connected a second of Haynesworths initial cases to Davis. Haynesworth was arrested in Richmond at the age of 18 in 1984 after a woman identified him as her attacker. His mother, Dolores Haynesworth, said, "He's home. The release was conditioned, however, on his abiding by numerous restrictions, such as a curfew and a requirement that he wear an ankle monitor. In 2009, DNA testing proved that Haynesworth was innocent of one of the rapes and . The Innocence Project estimates that his payment will. Thomas Haynesworth. This restitution will help ensure that Mr. Haynesworth is able to build upon his freedom and return to society in a successful way. Copyright 2023 Distractify. It's still hard to believe. Moses was born in February 1845, in Darlington County, South Carolina, USA. The Trials He played college football at the University of Tennessee and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing cases from the Innocence Project. At the time of his release from prison, he was 46-years-old. In fact, the two talk every day and advocate together for victims who misidentify their attackers. He was sentenced to a total of 84 years in prison. With his large number of social media fans, he often posts many personal photos and videos to interact with his huge fan base on social media platforms. [17] He added, "It needs to be a high bar, but the process by which it's handled and the hoops you have to get through, I think, are worthy of reconsideration. Appearing alongside Cuccinelli and his attorneys at an emotional news conference following the ruling, Haynesworth said, It's a blessing. In a 2018 interview, Haynesworth said that despite everything that had happened, he doesn't hold any grudges against the woman who misidentified him. Thomas Haynesworth was arrested and sent to prison for rape and various degrees of sexual assault that included attempted abduction. As seen in The Innocence Files on Netflix, Haynesworth had met with Burke on several occasions and they are now good friends. In 1984, Haynesworth - then 18 years old - was identified by a rape victim, Janet Burke, as her attacker. DNA evidence later connected a second of Haynesworth's initial cases to Davis. The Innocence Project estimates that will amount to $37,000 [29,956.60] for each year Haynesworth spent in prison, which falls short of the $50,000 [40,481.90] per-year federal standard. A news conference is scheduled for 5 p.m. [2] On February 1, a 19-year-old woman was abducted at gunpoint outside her home, but the attacker fled when the woman's dog began barking.[2]. Posted on April 30, 2017. Moot Court Room at the University of Richmond School of Law. "[16], Haynesworth was only the second convict of nearly 200 such cases to be exonerated without the support of DNA evidence. At his trial, the eyewitness testimony of the victims was given more importance than any actual hard evidence from the case, or rather, of the lack thereof. I'm holding him, but it's still hard to believe. I have never experienced the pure joy of today's outcome. Featured in the Netflix series The Innocence Files. In 1984, Haynesworth - then 18 years old - wasidentified by arape victim, Janet Burke, as her attacker. "[15] Gov. Police originally suspected that Davis criminal activity began in April 1984, two to three months after the crimes were committed for which Haynesworth was convicted. At least ten young women reported they were attacked by a young black man who referred to himself as the Black Ninja. He was convicted of the rapes that took place after Haynesworth arrest and sentenced to multiple life sentences. "[17], Cuccinelli said that the case was a reminder to him and to prosecutors that "the system isn't perfect, and neither are we. Yes, there is a lot of hula-hoop that occurred, when he changed his name. However, it was found that the victims had identified the wrong man. In May 2012, the Potomac Local News reported that Haynesworth had been awarded $1,075,178 in damages for his wrongful imprisonment. The Terrence Higgins Trust conducted a survey shortly after his announcement and found that 74% of. In response to the settlement news, Haynesworth said: I'm not bitter about the situation. On February 5, 1984, Thomas Haynesworth, 18, was arrested after the victim of the January 27 attempted robbery saw him walking near a market and told police he was her attacker. They had three children: Marion Estelle Edison (1873-1965), nicknamed "Dot" Thomas Alva Edison, Jr. (1876-1935), nicknamed "Dash" The television personality married Cooney in 1958. Image source: FITSNews Answer We know for certain that Peter was married because he had a mother-in-law ( Matthew 8:14 ). "[10] Appearing in person before the court, Cuccinelli argued passionately for Haynesworth's exoneration, saying, "This case has kept many prosecutors from going to bed at night. Unlike the previous five episodes of the Netflix series, it was never revealed how much Haynesworth received in compensation for his ordeal. In The Innocence Files, he reveals that initially tipped off police about Davis and the man's limp that connected him to other cases. [1] Haynesworth said Cuccinelli was "an extraordinary guy" and that as "a total stranger [he] put it on the line for me. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. But when Tommy reconciled with Grace, he confessed to May that he still loved Grace and suggested that they separate. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. Keep reading to find out the details of Thomass case, including where the investigation went wrong and what hes been up to since getting out of prison. Shortly after, in 2013, Kim filed for divorce . Thomas Haynesworth has a net worth of $5.00 million (Estimated) which he earned from his occupation as man convicted and later exonerated of four charges of rape. Haynesworth maintained his innocence throughout the years of incarceration. Thomas Haynesworth was exonerated after spending 27 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. [4][5] (Note: "The DNA exoneration cases where the false conviction is established with near certainty show that eyewitness evidence has been largely responsible for false conviction in more than 70% of cases (www.innocenceproj.org). The test cleared Haynesworth and implicated Davis. Haynesworth was not permitted to attend the funeral. You want to prove to them that they made a mistake. A police officer pulled up next to Haynesworth, and asked if he would allow a woman whose house was broken into to look at him. "[10] He also said, "It's hard to describe how painful it is to me that somebody would suffer what he has. Popularly known as the man convicted and later exonerated of four charges of rape of United States. In an interview with Closer Weekly, Thomas recalled how he met Gloria. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. However, as shown in The Innocence Files, Haynesworth is now friends with Janet Burke, one of the victims who mistakenly identified him as her rapist. Gabriel Fernandez: Inside Chowchilla State Women's prison. Gabriel Fernandez: Who is Michael Lemos Carranza? Kenneth Wyniemko, MI: 9 years, nothing from the state, $3.8 million civil lawsuit settlement. More info. He said: "I met . [1] Numerous persons were serving time who had not been able to use DNA in their trials. In the winter of 1984, Virginia was gripped by a string of rapes and attempted sexual assaults as five women were targeted by a serial monster. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). On March 21, 2011 (his 46th birthday), Haynesworth was granted parole after semen recovered from one of his supposed victims was retested and matched to serial rapist Leon Davis who is currently serving multiple life sentences for various crimes. Guards awakened him around 1 am ET to inform him of his release, and other inmates gave him a birthday card to take home. We may earn a commission through links on our site. Unlike the previous five episodes of the Netflix series, it was never revealed how much Haynesworth received in compensation for his ordeal. What happened to him? Thomas Haynesworth (Image: GETTY) On January 3, 1984, a 20-year-old white woman was raped at knifepoint in a day-care centre in Richmond, Virginia by a young black male. They had 7 children: Margaret S Haynesworth, M E M Haynesworth and 5 other children. Haynesworth was an 18-year old boy with no criminal record, just walking to the store for his mother and minding his own business when the victim of a rape that had taken place a month prior identified him as her attacker. On January 30, an 18-year-old woman was abducted, raped, and sodomized in nearby Henrico County, within blocks of the other attacks. "Those details that I had spent so much time looking and watching and paying attention to were absolutely wrong," she admitted. The Innocence Files: Who is Levon Brooks? An audit ordered by then-governor Mark Warner, resulted in DNA testing in a series of Virginia cases, including his - and . There are a lot of people behind the scenes who believed in me. Naturally, rapes that targeted the same victim demographic and followed the same pattern persisted even after his arrest and conviction. The rapes finally stopped in December 1984, when the police arrested a man named Leon Davis. Also find out how he got rich at the age of 56. He never got there. One of those former inmates is Thomas Haynesworth from Richmond, Va. At 18 years old, he was charged with rape, sodomy, abduction, use of a firearm, and attempted robbery after multiple sexual assault victims identified the black teen as their attacker. (Charges were dropped in the January 27 attack, despite the victim of that attack having been the first victim to identify him.) Charge: Rape, Sodomy, Abduction, Use of a firearm, Attempted robbery, Conviction: Rape (two counts), Robbery, Abduction, Contributing Causes of Conviction: Eyewitness Misidentification, The Alternative Perpetrator Identified: No, Yes. A police officer pulled up next to Haynesworth, and asked if he would allow a woman whose house was broken into to look at him. We want to inform you that, as per some theories, he changed his name, when he married Jessica Forrester. More:Innocence Files: What Happened To Kennedy Brewer. Does this mean that Thomas is getting married again? John T Haynesworth was born circa 1809, at birth place, South Carolina. While there was no evidence that placed Haynesworth at any of the crime scenes, he was convicted based on the testimony of Janet Burke, one of the victims. Thus, by the time Davis was caught, no one bothered to revisit the crimes for which Haynesworth had been charged. He said the only form of conclusive proof is DNA. He was sentenced to a total of 84 years in prison. Numerous persons were serving time who had not been able to use DNA in their trials. Kim's first husband was music producer Damon Thomas. Luckily, after a state-ordered review of past cases, DNA evidence ultimately showed that semen found on one of Haynesworths victims actually belonged to Davis. The first victim, Janet. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/. After Haynesworth's . The apostle Paul, who was not married, asked the Corinthians whether he also did not have the right to take a believing wife ( 1 Corinthians 9:5 ), as did "the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas [Peter]." Evidence used at the trial was based on victims' eyewitness accounts. His father after his release revealed that the 46-year-old kept opening and closing the fridge at home because he had not seen one in nearly 30 years. (While serving in the Virginia Senate, Ken Cuccinelli, who was State Attorney General when Haynesworth was seeking exoneration, had voted for an earlier version of this law, but it failed. In May 2012, the Potomac Local News reported that Haynesworth had been awarded $1,075,178 [870,598.51] in damages for his wrongful imprisonment. Although Marlo did not have kids of her own, she helped raise Phil's five children from a previous marriage. [9]) After the test, the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project began advocating for Haynesworth. The former Southern Charm cast member revealed that he would be tying the knot with no prenuptial agreement. Country music star Thomas Rhett married his wife, Lauren Akins, in 2012. Then 18 years old - wasidentified by arape victim, Janet Burke, as her attacker compensation for links! Young women reported they were attacked by a rape victim, Janet,. Black Ninja & # x27 ; s initial cases to Davis to use DNA in their trials rich at University. 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