The advent of DNA testing helped free hundreds of wrongfully convicted men. The Innocence Project reported that there have been 367 DNA exonerations to date, starting with the first one in 1989. Thanks to advancements in science, new DNA exonerations are still happening.
In 2002, Kerry Robinson was convicted of raping a 42-year-old woman in February 1993. Robinson, who was 26 at the time of his conviction, had been accused of breaking into her home with two other teenagers. Robinson would have been about 17 at the time of the rape.
CBS46 reported that ” Robinson was never identified as a suspect by the victim, yet Tyrone White and a friend were.”
“Still DNA testing confirmed two people involved in the incident, White and the victim,” the outlet continued. “At the time, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation DNA analyst said he was unable to conclude that Robinson had contributed to a remaining mixture of DNA. Still the 26-year-old was sentenced to two decades in prison for rape.”
After Robinson’s conviction, the DNA samples were sent to an additional 17 analysts, CBS46 reported. “12 concluded Robinson’s DNA was not present, four were unable to draw a conclusion and one agreed with the GBI’s testimony,” the outlet reported.
This did nothing to help Robinson, even though the overwhelming majority concluded his DNA was not found at the scene. In 2018, Robinson finally received the help he needed. A new DNA analytical tool found that “the results instead indicated that a random African-American’s DNA is 1,800 times more likely than Robinson’s DNA to explain the mixture of DNA in the rape kit,” CBS46 reported.
“In September 2019, Robinson filed a motion for a new trial, stating that Tyrone White provided courts with a false testimony that was also contradicted by the victim’s recount of the incident. A district attorney heard Robinson’s case and dismissed all charges and requested his release,” the outlet continued.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the theory surrounding Robinson’s conviction was that he was the “ringleader” behind the woman’s assault in 1993. The strongest evidence against Robinson was false testimony from the GBI, which claimed Robinson’s DNA was likely contained in a mixture of DNA found in the rape kit taken from the victim. The actual ringleader, Robinson contended, gave false testimony to implicate him because Robinson had previously turned the man over to police in connection to a different case.
“District Attorney Shealy’s actions reflect the justice that we fight for, and we hope others follow this lead,” said Georgia Innocence Project attorney Jennifer Whitfield. Whitfield represented Robinson along with Rodney Zell, who had been fighting for Robinson’s freedom for 15 years.
“When the government takes steps to ensure that convictions have integrity, it helps improve the credibility of our legal system overall,” Whitfield added, according to the AJC.
“Modern DNA technology has further confirmed what we’ve known for a long time: Kerry Robinson is an innocent man,” Zell told the outlet, adding that “We wish Kerry’s mother were here to see this day.”
Robinson was released from prison Wednesday afternoon, greeted by his relatives, including his son and sister.