It’s been five years since the release of Netflix’s crime drama miniseries When They See Us. The series is based on the story of five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongfully convicted of raping and assaulting a white woman in Central Park in 1989.
They are now called the “Exonerated Five." The real perpetrator was identified a decade after the five men were incarcerated. Through the Central Park jogger case, the Netflix series sheds light on racial profiling, systemic racism, and discrimination in the media, and the legal system.
When They See Us features Asante Blackk, Caleel Harris, Justin Cunnigham, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Jharrel Jerome, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Kylie Bunbury, Ethan Herisse, Marquis Rodriguez, Vera Farmiga, and Felicity Huffman. It is directed by Ava DuVernay.
Who are the Central Park Five in When They See Us?
The Central Park Five were five young men who were falsely convicted of raping and beating Trisha Meili, a white woman. The five men were Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise, as portrayed in When They See Us.
At the time of the crime, the five men were between the ages of 14 and 16. All five were charged and prosecuted for rape and assault before they served their prison sentences ranging from seven to thirteen years.
What crimes were the Central Park Five accused of?
One night in 1989, a young white woman, Trisha Meili, was jogging in Central Park. While jogging, Meili was knocked unconscious, dragged, and sexually and physically assaulted. Later in the night, Meili was found naked and severely injured in a ravine.
As shown in When They See Us, the police arrested Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise in relation to the assault. Meili had slipped into a coma post the assault. Upon waking, she had no memory of the assault, and by then the five men were already brought for questioning.
According to the lawyers of the Exonerated Five, they were interrogated for hours and coerced into submitting false confessions. The five men were jailed without any DNA evidence. In 2002, after the real attacker, Matias Reyes confessed to doing the crime alone, the five men were exonerated. DNA testing confirmed Reyes as the attacker.
The Exonerated Five later went on to sue the city of New York. They were paid a settlement of $41 million. They were paid an additional $3.9 million settlement for being wrongfully jailed. Their violation of rights and innocence was further proved to the public after the release of confidential documents regarding their case.
Where are the Central Park Five now?
Yusef Salaam is now married and lives in another state with his blended family. He is now an American politician, activist, motivational speaker, and also a member of the New York City Council.
Raymond Santana now resides with his daughter in Atlanta. He often revisits New York for his work as a fashion designer. In 2017, Richardson, Salaam, and Santana returned to their high schools to get their diplomas. Santana stated,
“When we went to prison, this was taken away from us.”
He further added,
“It was something we never got to experience. You felt like you were being robbed, and we’ve finally found redemption.”
While McCray and Wise also received their diplomas via mail, not much is known about their current status. Wise now resides in the Bronx and often speaks at events hosted by the Innocence Project.
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When They See Us is currently streaming on Netflix.
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