Source: NY Post
The New York man who was wrongfully convicted of murder for a 1997 Brooklyn homicide was finally released from jail Tuesday after it was revealed that the key eyewitness was incarcerated at the time she claimed to have seen him before the murder.
Roger Logan spent 17 years behind bars after he fell victim to the work of a disgraced detective.
The witness, who was provided by former New York Police Department Detective Louis Scarcella, had actually been in jail during the time she claimed to have spotted Logan in the area shortly before the murder took place.
“That testimony – whether by design or by mistake – was false,” said Assistant District Attorney Mark Hale.
Logan has always maintained his innocence and says he is relieved that he is finally free.
“It’s been a long wait,” he said after being released. “I want to just taste the freedom.”
Logan managed to keep his good spirits intact as he joked about wanting to get out of the clothes he had to wear to court.
“And I want to get out of these crummy clothes,” he told reporters as he pointed to his khaki pants. “It’s definitely not me.”
Outside of the Brooklyn Supreme Court, Logan was seen taking “selfies” with his niece and reuniting with other family members.
Louis Scarcella
His lawyer, Harold Baker, said he was happy Logan was a free man but was shocked by Scarcella’s apparent lack of integrity.
“That they went into so much trouble to frame this person shocks the conscience,” Baker said.
Unfortunately, Logan is only one of many who may have been put behind bars thanks to Scarcella’s methods.
Another man, David Ranta, was placed behind bars after an eyewitness was coached to pick him out of a lineup.
Upon further investigation, the Conviction Integrity Unit of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office determined that police had mishandled Ranta’s case.
He was released after spending more than 20 years in jail.
After learning that Ranta had been exonerated, Logan reached out to prosecutors to have his own case evaluated.
More than 50 cases that Scarcella handled before retiring have been under review to ensure no other innocent person is spending time in jail because of the detective’s tactics.
The new DA has already cleared six other men whose cases were connected to Scarcella. All of the men spent at least 20 years behind bars and all of them were innocent.
louis scarella should spend time in jail for purposely mishandling the cases!
WHY IN THE HELL UGLY RACIST IGNORANT LOUIS SCARELLA IS NOT BEING PUT IN JAIL FOR 25 YEARS OR MORE? SO THE POLICE DEPT IS LETTING HIM GET AWAY WITH IT? WHAT A RACIST AND BIG DISGRACE THE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND MOSTLY THE NYPD
Scarcella should be sentenced for every case he ever falsified thus making sure he never gets out. These men will never recover the time and life they lost He should be denied his freedom. I agree with Mumma Jackson.
I don't understand why it took so long to find these guys innocents of these trump up charges against them and why this detective Louis Scarella isn't behind bars himself for his lying framing tactics, i mean i just get it. I hope that theses guys will get some type of retribution for being cage like an animal for nothing, but nothing will undo the years that they lost on their life by being falsely locked up, what a dam shame may God bless em all.
Where's the outrage NEW YORK!
This is sad to do this to another human being. If Louis Scarella did this on purpose then he should hold him accountable… Sad…Smh…
This happens too often. Check out another case of wrongful conviction on Facebook http://facebook.com/justiceforcyrilsmith or on Twitter @justiceforcyril