Wednesday marks first anniversary of Anthony Capozzi’s exoneration

One year ago Wednesday, Anthony Capozzi was released from prison after spending 20 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He was wrongfully convicted in 1985 of two brutal rapes that took place in Delaware Park in Buffalo, New York.

Capozzi became a suspect in a series of rapes committed in a Buffalo park after passersby noticed him acting strangely in the area. His noted behavior was in part due to his medically diagnosed schizophrenia. Although his physical appearance didn't match the victims' descriptions of the attacker, he was identified in court by all three victims and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Last year, biological evidence from the crimes – believed for years to be lost – was found in a hospital drawer at the Erie County Medical Center and was finally tested for DNA. The DNA results not only excluded Capozzi of the crime, but also pointed to the identity of the actual perpetrator, a man named Altemio Sanchez, who is currently incarcerated for similar crimes.

Watch a Dateline NBC episode on the case, "On the Trail of the Bike Path Rapist"

Read more about Capozzi's case here

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Other exoneration anniversaries this week:



Thursday:

Eddie Lowery

, Kansas (Served 9.5 years, Exonerated 4/3/03)

Dennis Maher

, Massachusetts (Served 19 years, Exonerated 4/3/03)

Friday:

Harold Buntin

, Indiana (Served 13 years, Exonerated 4/4/05)

Saturday:

Terry Chalmers

, New York (Served 7.5 years, Exonerated 4/5/95)