Central Park jogger case

Central Park jogger case
Central Park sign honoring the exonerated
Location	Central Park, New York City
Date	April 19, 1989 (1989-04-19) 9:00–10:00 p.m. (EDT)
Attack type	Rape
Injured	Trisha Meili
Perpetrator	Matias Reyes
Verdict	Richardson guilty on all counts McCray, Salaam, and Raymond Santana not guilty of attempted murder, guilty on remaining counts Wise not guilty of attempted murder and rape, guilty on remaining counts All convictions vacated in 2002
Charges	Assault Robbery Riot Rape Sexual abuse Attempted murder
Sentence	Richardson, McCray, Salaam, Santana: 5–10 years in juvenile detention (paroled after 6–7 years) Wise: 15 years in prison (released after 13 years)
Litigation	Lawsuit by five of the wrongly convicted against New York City for discrimination and emotional distress; settled for $41 million Lawsuit by five of the wrongly convicted against New York State; settled for $3.9 million

The Central Park jogger case (sometimes termed the Central Park Five case) was a criminal case concerning the assault and rape of Trisha Meili, a woman in Central Park in Manhattan, New York, on April 19, 1989.^[1][2] On the night of the attack, dozens of teenagers had entered the park, and there were reports of muggings and physical assaults.^[2]

Six teenagers were indicted in relation to the Meili assault. Charges against one, Steven Lopez, were dropped after Lopez pleaded guilty to a different assault. The remaining five—Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise (known as the Central Park Five, later the Exonerated Five)—were convicted of the charged offenses and served sentences ranging from seven to thirteen years.^[3] More than a decade after the attack, while incarcerated for attacking five other women in 1989, serial rapist Matias Reyes confessed to the Meili assault and claimed he was the only actor; DNA evidence confirmed his involvement.^[4] The convictions against McCray, Richardson, Salaam, Santana, and Wise were vacated in 2002; Lopez's convictions were vacated in July 2022.

From the outset the case was a topic of national interest. Initially, it fueled public discourse about New York City's perceived lawlessness, criminal behavior by youths, and violence toward women. After the exonerations, the case became a prominent example of racial profiling, discrimination, and inequality in the legal system and the media.^[5][6][7][8] All five defendants sued the City of New York for malicious prosecution, racial discrimination, and emotional distress; the city settled the suit in 2014 for $41 million.