Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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Anthony Capozzi

 

Charge:

Rape

Sentence:

11 to 35 years

Years Imprisoned:

22

Year Crime:

1984

Year Convicted:

1987

Year Cleared:

2007

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

New York

County or Region of Crime:

Erie

City of Crime:

Buffalo

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

"Anthony Capozzi was wrongly convicted in 1987 of two rapes based solely on the eyewitness identification of the victims. Capozzi was sentenced to 11 to 35 years in prison, and was offered parole if he would admit his guilt, which he refused to do. Capozzi was released on April 3, 2007, after DNA tests excluded him as the assailant. Buffalo PD cold case detective Dennis A. Delano was a key person in Capozzi's exoneration. Anthony Capozzi was wrongly imprisoned for 21 years, 7 months, and 22 days, plus the time he awaited trial. In June 2010 Capozzi settled for $4,250,000 his claim against the State of New York filed with the State Court of Claims."

Conviction Caused By:

Erroneous eyewitness testimony by the victims.

Innocence Proved By:

DNA tests excluded him as the assailant. The actual assailant later pled guilty to three counts of murder.

Defendant Aided By:

Innocence Project NY and Buffalo PD cold case detective Dennis A. Delano.

Compensation Awarded:

"$4,250,000 (State of New York, June 2010)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

28

Age When Released:

50

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Capozzi gets first taste of freedom, By Michael Beebe and John F. Bonfatti, The Buffalo News, April 5, 2007"

Information Location 1:

http://www.buffalonews.com/101/story/46283.html?imw=Y

Information Source 2:

"Capozzi officially cleared of rape charges, By Michael Beebe, The Buffalo News, April 3, 2007"

Information Location 2:

http://www.buffalonews.com/101/story/45497.html

Information Source 3:

"Capozzi gets $4.25 million from state in settlement, By Stephen T. Watson (staff), Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY), August 20, 2010"

Information Location 3:

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article89784.ece

Information Source 4:

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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

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