Two years of freedom for Florida man

05.23.08

Today marks the second anniversary of Orlando Boquete’s exoneration in Florida. Boquete spent 12 years behind bars for a sexual assault he didn’t commit – as well as another ten years as a fugitive after he escaped from prison.

From the New York Times magazine:

On June 25 (1982), with the summer heat at full blast, (Boquete) had a cousin shave his head of thick black hair, leaving only a mustache. That night, various Boquetes later testified, they sat in the trailer, watching baseball and the World Cup from Spain. Afterward, they strolled to a Tom Thumb convenience store for cigarettes and beer. As they approached, police officers asked them to wait in the parking lot. Another police car pulled up. Inside was a woman who had awoken from a sound sleep in her bed in the Stock Island apartments, a few blocks away, to find a man on top of her. He ejaculated on her bedclothes. He had no hair on his face, she said, and a buzz cut on his head. Another man lurked in the apartment with him, she said, but had not taken part in the assault. They grabbed a few items and left.

From the police car, the victim saw Orlando Boquete and told the officer, “That’s him.” Although he had a prominent mustache, he was the only person in the vicinity with a shaved head. That single glimpse shaped Boquete’s life for decades.


Read the full story here

.


Other exoneration anniversaries this week:



Monday:

Michael Mercer

, New York (Served 10.5 years, Exonerated 05/19/03)

Today:

Marvin Mitchell

, Massachusetts (Served 7 years, Exonerated 05/23/97)

Saturday:

Thomas Webb

, Oklahoma (Served 13 years, Exonerated 05/24/96)

 

Leave a Reply

Thank you for visiting us. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone.

This field is required.
This field is required.
This field is required.