The Central Park Five

The Central Park Five Movie Poster

On April 19, 1989, Trisha Meili was jogging in New York City's Central Park when she was violently assaulted and raped. She wasn't found until four hours later, suffering from hypothermia and nearly dead. Although she survived, she had no memory of the attack.

Five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem were arrested. Four officially confessed to the crime and implicated the fifth. A few weeks later they retracted their statements, saying they had been forced to confess. In 1990 they were convicted. In 2002, convicted rapist and murderer Matias Reyes confessed to the crime. DNA evidence supported his claim and he admitted that he had acted alone. All five teens had completed their prison sentences by that time.

Director: Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon
Studio: Sundance Selects
Producer(s): David McMahon, Sarah Burns, Ken Burns
Writer(s): Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon
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