This is, sadly, all too typical. False eyewitness identification, bogus lineup, jailhouse snitch, police tunnel vision.
Read the full CNN story here. Below are some excerpts:
Since Ranta’s trial, another man’s widow has identified her now-dead husband as the killer; a onetime jail inmate has said he made up statements about Ranta to boost his own fortunes; and the man who, as a boy, picked him out of a lineup has come forward to say he was coached by a detective.
Menachem Lieberman was 13 years old when he identified Ranta in a lineup. In 2011, he told investigators that he identified Ranta after being told by a detective to “Pick the guy with the big nose.”
Ranta’s attorney: “The detective work that was done on this case was at best shoddy and at worst criminal. And I don’t use that word lightly,” he told CNN. “But when a closer examination is done of the detective work … It becomes clear that there were so many leads that weren’t followed, there were so many notes that weren’t taken and just a general lack of attention to an investigation that required nothing but close scrutiny of the scene, of witnesses and so forth. That didn’t happen.”
Wrongful Convictions Blog 
martez shadwick and antwan bankhead was wrongfully convicted for crimes that they didn’t commit. I know of a lot of people who are sitting in jail right now convicted of a crime that they didn’t commit.
Phil, I wish there were an option other than “like” for your post. I thank you for your excellent summary of the malfeasance and shoddy work in this case. The story itself is something no one with a conscience could “like.”
The former publicity-seeking detective now claims he’s being made into a scapegoat. Talk about chutzpah!
The NYPD is the most corrupt police agency in the country, is anyone surprised by this?
The New York Times, March 20, 2013 article about the case also noted that David Ranta passed a police polygraph exam before his trial.
David Ranta is listed in the NYS inmate database as having been released from prison before this happened. 1986. How did the police get to David ?
In the Federal courts isnt there a direction from the jusge for witnesses that make deals for lighter sentences to consider this when listening to testimony ? The criminals are liars and will say anything to get a lighter sentence. Any competent defense attorney should handle this well but there are clowns out there.
David may have been a lookout but didnt commit the murder. STill doesnt justify getting hit with a murder wrap. STill dont think he is completely innocent.
After watching discovery Id channel and other shows dealing with wrongfull convictions alot does involve bad eyewitness testimony.
There was one case of a black man wrongfully convicted of rape of a white woman based on her swearing up and down this was the guy. Defenfant actually had multiple witnesses confirming his alibi but it didnt work. This happens too often.
How about when an eyewitness says someone committed a crime, and they find the real guy and they dont even look alike.
Typical, our justice system is severely flawed!
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2013/03/22/exp-life-after-prison.cnn. NY Exoneree Fernando Bermudez interviewed by CNN international regarding David Ranta exoneration.
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