Ralph Daniel Wright Jr

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Charge:	First Degree Murder
Sentence:	Death
Years Imprisoned:	8.5
Year Crime:	2007
Year Convicted:	2014
Year Cleared:	2017
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Florida
County or Region of Crime:	Pinellas
City of Crime:	St. Petersburg
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Ralph Daniel Wright Jr. was wrongly convicted of first-degree murder in the death on July 6, 2007 at the St. Petersburg, Florida home of Wright's ex-girlfriend, Paula, and the 15-month-old boy, Alijah, they had together. Ralph Wright was arrested in December 2008. The prosecution's circumstantial case was based on the alleged motive that he didn't want to pay child support for Alijah. Wright's defense was that the police investigation was inadequate because it solely focused on trying to tie him to the crime while overlooking other potential suspects who had the motive, means and opportunity to commit the crime -- including two St. Petersburg police officers that Paula had sexual relationships with. After his conviction in 2014 by a jury, Wright was sentenced to death. (The jury recommended a death sentence by a 7-5 vote, and after his sentencing in an unrelated case the Florida Supreme Corut ruled a death sentence based on a non-unanimous jury was unconstitutional. However, the ruling wasn't applied retroactively.) On May 11, 2017 the Florida Supreme Court reversed Wright's conviction on the basis the prosecution failed to introduce sufficient evidence to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and ordered his acquittal. His case was remanded to the trial court for dismissal of the charges. The Court's ruling stated: "There is no fingerprint, footprint, blood, fiber, pattern impression, or other physical evidence tying Wright to the crime scene. There is no cell tower evidence placing him in the vicinity of the crime scene. There are no inculpatory statements. There is no murder weapon. The only evidence presented by the State to prove that Wright was the murderer is the fact that he had motive and opportunity. But while motive and opportunity might create a suspicion that Wright committed the murders, even deep suspicions are not sufficient to sustain the convictions." (Ralph Daniel Wright, Jr. v. State of Florida, No. SC14-2410 (Fla. Supreme Ct., 5-11-2017))"
Conviction Caused By:	"Inadequate police investigation that overlooked viable suspects with the motive, means and opportunity to commit the crime."
Innocence Proved By:	"On May 11, 2017 the Florida Supreme Court reversed Wright's conviction on the basis the prosecution failed to introduce sufficient evidence to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and ordered his acquittal. His case was remanded to the trial court for dismissal of the charges."
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Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	40
Age When Released:	48
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Ralph Daniel Wright, Jr. v. State of Florida, No. SC14-2410 (Fla. Supreme Ct., 5-11-2017) (Reversing conviction and ordering acquittal based on the prosecution's circumstantial case was insufficient to prove Wright's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.)"
Information Location 1:	http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/decisions/2017/sc14-2410.pdf
Information Source 2:	"Supreme Court orders Ralph Wright Jr. to be acquitted of 2007 St. Pete killings, By Dan Sullivan (Times Staff Writer), Tampa Bay Times, May 11, 2017"
Information Location 2:	http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/florida-supreme-court-overturns-death-sentence-for-hillsborough-killer/2323582
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Ralph Daniel Wright Jr

Charge:

First Degree Murder

Sentence:

Death

Years Imprisoned:

8.5

Year Crime:

2007

Year Convicted:

2014

Year Cleared:

2017

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Florida

County or Region of Crime:

Pinellas

City of Crime:

St. Petersburg

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

"Inadequate police investigation that overlooked viable suspects with the motive, means and opportunity to commit the crime."

Innocence Proved By:

"On May 11, 2017 the Florida Supreme Court reversed Wright's conviction on the basis the prosecution failed to introduce sufficient evidence to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and ordered his acquittal. His case was remanded to the trial court for dismissal of the charges."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

40

Age When Released:

48

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Ralph Daniel Wright, Jr. v. State of Florida, No. SC14-2410 (Fla. Supreme Ct., 5-11-2017) (Reversing conviction and ordering acquittal based on the prosecution's circumstantial case was insufficient to prove Wright's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.)"

Information Location 1:

http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/decisions/2017/sc14-2410.pdf

Information Source 2:

"Supreme Court orders Ralph Wright Jr. to be acquitted of 2007 St. Pete killings, By Dan Sullivan (Times Staff Writer), Tampa Bay Times, May 11, 2017"

Information Location 2:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/florida-supreme-court-overturns-death-sentence-for-hillsborough-killer/2323582

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