Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Understanding False Confessions

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We all would like to think that we are smart enough and strong enough that we could never be coerced into coughing for a crime we didn't commit, speaking personally I'm more than sure I wouldn't but after reading this article I have a better understanding why many do, particularly the young or the vulnerable. Have at it, it's a scary read.


When 16-year old Kharey Wise entered the Central Park Police Precinct at 102nd St on April 20, 1989, he didn't realize what he was walking into. It was the day after one of the most grisly crimes in official New York memory-the brutal sexual assault of a woman who would become known as the Central Park Jogger-and Wise had been asked to come in along with other black and Latino youths who had allegedly been in the park the night before.


Wise was taken to the scene of the crime and shown graphic pictures of the woman's injuries, which included a fractured skull. Eventually, his visit to the police station would lead to an interrogation and, after nine hours of questioning, a videotaped confession that was confusing, convoluted, and chilling.more

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