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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
First Degree Murder |
Sentence: |
105 years |
Years Imprisoned: |
0.67 |
Year Crime: |
2005 |
Year Convicted: |
2007 |
Year Cleared: |
2008 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Puerto Rico |
County or Region of Crime: |
San Juan |
City of Crime: |
San Juan |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"Jonathan Roman Rivera was wrongly convicted on October 10, 2007 of murdering a Canadian businessman in Puerto Rico in 2005. Jonathan Rivera was sentenced on November 15, 2007 to 105 years in prison. The crime was originally investigated by the Puerto Rican police, but after Rivera's conviction the FBI discovered information that he had nothing to do with the crime, but the actual murderer was another man hired by the man's soon-to-be ex-wife. After the other man was indicted, Rivera was released on $1 bail from prison on June 8, 2008, eight months after his conviction. Rivera bears a striking resemblance to the man authorities believe actualy committed the crime. Also implicated in the murder for hire scheme are the sister and brother-in-law of the estranged wife. The charges were not immediately dismissed against Roman, with a hearing scheduled for August 2008 to review the status of his case. Rivera was free on bail prior to his sentencing, and was imprisoned for seven months prior to his release. Ironically, the murdered man's estranged wife did not identify Rivera as the attacker -- but onlookers did. The wife was later charged with offering a man $3 million to murder her husband, the wealthy owner of an Internet gambling website. Rivera's conviction was overturned in June 2009. On September 11, 2009 Rivera filed a lawsuit against 12 police officers and prosecutors seeking $12 million in damages. His parents and brothers are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit, seeking $2 million in damages for "great emotional pain" and "anguish and distress." (Roman et al v. Miranda et al, No. 3-2009cv01919 (USDC PRDC) - Complaint 09-11-2009) Rivera originally became a suspect because he was a dishwasher at a restaruant owned by the murdered man, and he was having an affair with his wife." |
Conviction Caused By: |
"Erroneous eyewitness identification by onlookers, but the wife who was also attacked said it wasn't Rivera." |
Innocence Proved By: |
Actual culprit identified. Conviction overturned in June 2009. |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
Yes |
Age When Imprisoned: |
24 |
Age When Released: |
25 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Hispanic |
Information Source 1: |
"US accuses widow of slain Canadian, Washington Post (AP Story), June 6, 2008" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060602511.html |
Information Source 2: |
"Man pleads guilty in murder of Canadian businessman in Puerto Rico, CNEWS (Canada), June 15, 2008" |
Information Location 2: |
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2008/06/13/5873546-ap.html |
Information Source 3: |
"PR man seeks $12 million for wrongful conviction, The New York Times, September 17, 2009" |
Information Location 3: |
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/09/17/world/AP-CB-Puerto-Rico-Slain-Executive.html |
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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org