Convictions overturned for two men in case of a 1992 teen murder; NYPD fabricated evidence

[davidn3600]

Two men who’ve spent more than 15 years in prison after being convicted in 1993 of kidnapping a 16-year-old Brooklyn girl saw their guilty verdicts overturned Wednesday when a state appeals court ruled cops withheld evidence that might have cleared them and then lied about it.

Everton Wagstaffe and Reginald Connor, both sentenced to up to 25 years in prison, had always maintained they were innocent in the kidnapping and death of Jennifer Negron.

The teenage girl’s bludgeoned body was found on New Year’s Day 1992 in East New York. A witness was produced by cops and used by prosecutors to link the two men to the crime, even though they had no link to Jennifer and no motive was ever established.

A judge dismissed the murder charges due to lack of evidence, but Wagstaffe and Conner were convicted of kidnapping. For the past 23 years, they’ve struggled to prove they weren’t guilty of any crime.

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The Appellate Division took the unusual step of not just overturning the convictions but also dismissing the original indictments — which Beldock said was an indication of how flagrantly the authorities had violated the law while pursuing the guilty verdicts.

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Jennifer Negron’s case was one of 100 being re-examined by Brooklyn prosecutors after information emerged about a tainted detective who allegedly fabricated evidence in some murder cases decades ago. The Conviction Review Unit is going over 71 cases tied to retired detective Louis Scarcella.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/men-convicted-brooklyn-kidnapping-verdicts-overturned-article-1.1944007

Important to note...new tests of DNA that was found under the fingernails of the victim did NOT match Connor nor Wagstaffe.

[Cali_Democrat]

1. They're both black. That's shocking.

[kath]

4. Yep, I was so shocked to see their photos that you could've knocked me over with a feather!

Gawd, I hate the fucking pigs more with each passing day...

[Orrex]

7. Well, that's proof of guilt right there.

Haven't you been paying attention?

[williesgirl]

2. and the real killer has been free and doing who knows what all this time.

Disgusting!

[Heidi]

3. Kick, kick, kick!!!

[Judi Lynn]

5. Thanks for posting this. It needs to be heard. n/t

[blkmusclmachine]

6. Another rogue Police Department that answers to nobody!

[Lochloosa]

8. And why is this scumbag still walking around?

Discredited NYPD Detective Louis Scarcella was dragged into court Tuesday...

Lawyers argue over disgraced cop’s 20 year old murder bust. Discredited NYPD Detective Louis Scarcella was dragged into court Tuesday as lawyers argued over whether yet another murder conviction on a case he investigated should be overturned amidst allegations of misconduct.

http://www.mynextfone.co.uk/metro/discredited-nypd-detective-louis-scarcella-was-dragged-into-court-tuesday-h27614.html