Anthony Wright - Exoneration Summary

Background

• Victim: Louise Talley, 77, found dead in her home in Philadelphia on October 19, 1991.
• Crime: Rape and murder of Talley; house looted.
• Initial Suspect: Anthony Wright, 20.
  • Alleged involvement reported to police by an informant.

Investigation

• Key Figures:
  • Roland Saint James
  • John Richardson
• James and Richardson implicated Wright via signed statements under police pressure.
• Wright confessed after being threatened by police detectives.
  • Confession claimed he wore a Chicago Bulls sweatshirt, jeans, and Fila shoes.
• Police claimed to find these items with bloodstains at Wright's home.

Trial and Conviction

• Trial Date: May 1993
• Testimonies:
  • James and Richardson testified against Wright.
  • Two teenagers falsely testified seeing Wright enter Talley’s home.
• Evidence:
  • Forensic analyst claimed Talley’s blood and semen traces found on Wright's alleged clothing.
  • Wright’s mother contested the clothing evidence.
• Verdict: Convicted of capital murder, rape, among other charges.
• Sentence: Life without parole.

Post-Conviction Developments

• DNA Testing: Requested in 2005, initially denied, but approved in 2011.
• DNA Results (2013):
  • Talley’s DNA on the clothing, not Wright’s; clothing belonged to Talley.
  • DNA from rape kit matched Ronnie Byrd, a local crack dealer.
• Conviction Vacated: March 2014, due to new evidence.

Retrial and Exoneration

• Retrial Date: August 2016
• Changes in Testimonies:
  • Nixon and Alston recanted their previous testimonies, citing police coercion.
• Outcome: Acquitted; Wright released on August 23, 2016.

Aftermath

• Civil Rights Lawsuit: Filed against Philadelphia and its police department; settled for $9.85 million in June 2018.
• Prosecutorial Misconduct Complaint: Against Bridget Kirn for allowing false testimonies.
• Charges Against Detectives: Santiago, Devlin, and Jastrzembski charged with perjury and other crimes related to Wright's case.

Related Exonerations

• Several other wrongfully convicted cases in Philadelphia linked to detectives involved in Wright’s case. Examples:
  • Shaurn and Clayton Mustafa Thomas - Exonerated in 2017 and 2019.
  • Willie Veasy - Exonerated in 2019.
  • Walter Ogrod - Exonerated in 2020.
  • Andrew Swainson - Exonerated in 2020.

Registry Information

• National Registry of Exonerations:
  • Founded by University of California Irvine, University of Michigan Law School, and Michigan State University College of Law.
  • Documents wrongful convictions and exonerations in the U.S. since 1989.
• Contributions to Exoneration: False confession, perjury, official misconduct, and DNA evidence.

Contact and Support

• Encourages public to report additional exoneration cases or correct errors.