By Geno McGahee
In 1989, a jogger in Central Park made world news. As she ran, she was grabbed, raped, and nearly beaten to death. That same night, a group of teens were there doing some “wilding,” which basically meant breaking the law and harassing people. Some went as far as to physically assault people, including an elderly homeless man. Five teens were picked up for the wilding but were held in custody when word got out that there was a rape. That night would cost these kids much more than they could have ever imagined.
Ken Burns put wrote and directed “THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE,” an incredible documentary that examines the injustice, police misconduct and need to have this crime solved. Much like the West Memphis Three, this group was picked up because they were convenient. They got the pressure off of the department and they were easy to manipulate to fit the bill. The story of these five teens is incredibly similar to that of the West Memphis Three and shows that solving a case and appeasing the public can come at a great price, including knowingly putting innocent people behind bars.
Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Saleem, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise were picked up and brought down to the station, curious as to why they were there. They were all under 17 and all easy prey for the detectives eager to link them to the rape and attempted murder. The interrogations of these kids lasted upwards of 30 hours and it led to confessions, but none of the confessions were accurate. The teens were given the names to include in the confession and were told that if they cooperated, they would go home and that they were helping the detectives this way. They were helping them. They closed the case with them implicated in the crimes. At their age and with parents that may not have been the most educated, the teens were linked to a rape and beating that spread like wildfire in the national news. Every day, something new would arise to further cover the case and the guilt was determined before the case was even heard. Five kids that may have been up to no good were going to pay a much bigger price than they should have for their one night of reckless behavior.
The teens were all convicted and New York and the rest of the country could rest. Although racism can be pointed to, the teens were really caught in the crossfire and were victims of a desperate police force. The crime rate was rising, crack had moved into the city with force, and the criminals were multiplying. They needed some positive news and that was at the expense of five kids that were probably seen as future trouble anyway.
With the public convinced of their guilt and the detectives refusing to look elsewhere, the Central Park Five were convicted and sent away, even though the evidence immediately suggested that they did not do the crime. The DNA at the scene matched none of them, there was a rape earlier involving the “East Side Rapist” and this could have been his handiwork. They had his DNA on record and could have matched it. There was also strong evidence to suggest that the jogger was raped after the group was picked up. These boys turned into men behind bars when they were totally innocent and the detectives had to have known this.
The Central Park Five would be cleared, but they would serve their sentences first. The East Side Rapist would come forward. His DNA matched the scene. All that time after the crime, the Central Park Five would have the convictions erased from their records, but the scars still remain deep. It was a tragic story, but the ending could turn out to be an acceptable one should the lawsuit turn over a reasonable settlement for the teens that gave up some of the better years of their lives for a crime they didn’t commit. The puzzle pieces were forced in to make them the rapists and the hope is that they will be repaid for their time served.
THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE is a great documentary but nothing other than that can be expected from Ken Burns. I remember the case and the high profile nature of it. The public wanted justice and the department was in a bind to give it. This movie along with the documentaries that covered the West Memphis Three should make everyone think twice before passing judgment on those arrested. Innocent until proven guilty. It also shows the pressure a department can have to solve a case and what they may do to relieve it. This is a great study in human nature and a great story where the truth finally came out. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 10/10
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