User:Chemista/Calvin Willis

Calvin Willis was released from prison in September 2003 after being exonerated by DNA evidence. He spent more than 21 years incarcerated for the rape of a 10-year old girl.

In June 1981, a man entered a home in Shreveport, Louisiana where three young girls (ages 7,9 and 10) were sleeping. The oldest girl was attacked and left unconscious. Based on conflicting eyewitness testimony and serological testing, Willis was convicted of the crime and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Paralegal Janet Gregory worked on repeated appeals, which were denied. In 2003, testing by the Innocence Project showed that Calvin Willis was not the source of blood and semen samples.

Willis has received no apology or financial recompense for his imprisonment. Hugo Holland, the assistant district attorney responsible for the case, maintains "I'm still not convinced Calvin Willis didn't do it," Holland said. "Calvin Willis is not innocent, he's just not guilty. I just don't know who did it."

The case was publicized in a magazine article by Andrew Corsello. The movie "The Wronged Man" based on the article was aired in 2010. The case is also featured in the 2005 movie "After Innocence".