Don Ray Adams

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Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment
Years Imprisoned:	20
Year Crime:	1990
Year Convicted:	1992
Year Cleared:	2011
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Pennsylvania
County or Region of Crime:	Philadelphia
City of Crime:	Philadelphia
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Don Ray Adams was wrongly convicted in November 1992 of a double murder in Philadelphia on December 22, 1990. The prosecution's primary evidence was the testimony of Donna Benjamin, a convicted felon and crack cocaine addict who told the jury that she saw Adams approach the two men and shoot them. Six other eyewitnesses testified they could not identify Adams as the shooter. Adams was sentenced to life in prison. In 2007 Benjamin contacted Adams' lawyer and told him that she had lied under pressure from the police. Based on her recantation Adams' lawyer filed a motion for a new trial that was granted. Adams was retried and acquitted by a jury on April 25, 2011. He was released after 20 years in custody. "
Conviction Caused By:	"Perjury by the prosecution's only alleged "eyewitness.""
Innocence Proved By:	"Adams was retried and acquitted by a jury on April 25, 2011. He was released after 20 years in custody."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	33
Age When Released:	53
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Don Ray Adams, The National Registry of Exonerations"
Information Location 1:	http://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=3880
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Don Ray Adams

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

20

Year Crime:

1990

Year Convicted:

1992

Year Cleared:

2011

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Pennsylvania

County or Region of Crime:

Philadelphia

City of Crime:

Philadelphia

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

"Perjury by the prosecution's only alleged "eyewitness.""

Innocence Proved By:

"Adams was retried and acquitted by a jury on April 25, 2011. He was released after 20 years in custody."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

33

Age When Released:

53

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Don Ray Adams, The National Registry of Exonerations"

Information Location 1:

http://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=3880

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Book About Case:

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Book About Case (2):

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Movie About Case:

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