Another Brooklyn Man to be Exonerated

On Monday, another Brooklyn man, Derrick Hamilton, learned that he would be exonerated for a murder for which he served nearly 20 years. The case is one of the many cases handled by retired detective Louis Scarcella that is being reinvestigated by Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson.

The conviction review unit formed by Thompson found major problems with the testimony of the only eyewitness to the 1991 murder of Nathaniel Cash. The eyewitness was Cash’s girlfriend. She told the first detective on the scene that she didn’t see the shooting. However, after being interviewed by Scarcella and his partner, her story completely changed with her naming Hamilton as the shooter. The review unit found that her testimony clashed with other evidence in the case. For instance, she claimed that Cash was shot in the chest, but a consultation with the medical examiner’s office showed that Cash was shot in the back. Ballistics also showed that more than one gun was used. 

According to an article in the New York Times, Hamilton said “it was very touching,” when he was told by Thompson that the he was being cleared of the crime.

You can read the full article 

here


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