Steven Lopez, a lesser-known “Central Park Five” co-defendant, had his related robbery conviction overturned on Monday.
Lopez and the Central Park Five — five other teenage boys — were charged with raping a woman jogging through Central Park in New York City in 1989. Lopez was 15 years old at the time. The Central Park Five were convicted of the crime.
For his part, Lopez agreed to a deal with prosecutors, avoiding the rape charge by pleading guilty to an unrelated mugging. He served over three years in prison and did not file an appeal. Meanwhile, the Central Park Five were convicted in separate trials throughout 1990 and sentenced to 12 years in prison, reported The New York Times.
However, the convictions were found to be based on false confessions obtained by law enforcement.
DNA evidence eventually revealed that an uncharged man, Matias Reyes, had raped the jogger, Trisha Meili. Reyes, who was serving time for a separate rape and murder charge, ended up confessing to the attack.
Consequently, the Central Park Five’s convictions were overturned in February 2002. They later won a $41 million settlement against the city.
The case has been widely publicized, but Lopez’s role in the larger narrative has always been understated, reported The New York Times. For example, he was not included in the settlement, nor was he portrayed in Ava DuVernay’s recent miniseries on the ordeal, When They See Us.
Lopez only recently brought his case to the attention of the Manhattan district attorney’s office, requesting that his conviction be overturned.
Alvin Bragg, Manhattan district attorney, told the New York State Supreme Court that Lopez was indicted and pleaded guilty “in the face of false statements, unreliable forensic analysis, and immense external pressure,” according to The New York Times.
“Mr. Lopez, we wish you peace and healing,” said New York State Supreme Court Justice Ellen Biben upon vacating his conviction, reported Fox News.