Leo Waters

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Charge:	Rape and Robbery (including burglary)
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment
Years Imprisoned:	22
Year Crime:	1981
Year Convicted:	1982
Year Cleared:	2004
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	North Carolina
County or Region of Crime:	Onslow
City of Crime:	Jacksonville
Result:	Pardoned
Summary of Case:	"Leo Waters was wrongly convicted in 1982 of armed robbery, kidnapping, first-degree rape and first-degree sexual assault. Released in 2003 after two DNA tests excluded him as the assailant. The charges were dropped by the prosecution in 2004. He was pardoned by North Carolina Governor Mike Easley in August 2005 on the basis of his innocence. Leo Waters was wrongly imprisoned for 21 years. Waters was awarded compensation of $360,000 under North Carolina's wrongful conviction compensation statute. In September 2008 Waters was awarded an additional $390,000 in compensation by the State of North Carolina when the state law limits were increased in July 2008 to $50,000 per year up to a maximum of $750,000 (15 years)."
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	Charges dropped in 2004 after two DNA tests in 2003 excluded Waters as the assailant. NC Governor Easley pardoned Waters in August 2005.
Defendant Aided By:	Innocence Project NY
Compensation Awarded:	"$750,000 total. $360,000 (State of North Carolina, 2006) and $390,000 (State of North Carolina, Sept. 2008)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?	Yes
Age When Imprisoned:	33
Age When Released:	54
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"Governor Pardons Waters After 21 Years in Prison For Rape, Sun Journal, New Bern, NC, August 18, 2005"
Information Location 1:	http://www.newbernsj.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=23068&Section=Local
Information Source 2:	"Hunt to get additional $391,000 from state, By James Romoser, Winston-Salem Journal, August 20, 2008."
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Leo Waters

Charge:

Rape and Robbery (including burglary)

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

22

Year Crime:

1981

Year Convicted:

1982

Year Cleared:

2004

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

North Carolina

County or Region of Crime:

Onslow

City of Crime:

Jacksonville

Result:

Pardoned

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

Charges dropped in 2004 after two DNA tests in 2003 excluded Waters as the assailant. NC Governor Easley pardoned Waters in August 2005.

Defendant Aided By:

Innocence Project NY

Compensation Awarded:

"$750,000 total. $360,000 (State of North Carolina, 2006) and $390,000 (State of North Carolina, Sept. 2008)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

33

Age When Released:

54

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Governor Pardons Waters After 21 Years in Prison For Rape, Sun Journal, New Bern, NC, August 18, 2005"

Information Location 1:

http://www.newbernsj.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=23068&Section=Local

Information Source 2:

"Hunt to get additional $391,000 from state, By James Romoser, Winston-Salem Journal, August 20, 2008."

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Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: