Central Park 5 claim Donald Trump tried to kill them amid exonerated case in emotional DNC speech

Members of the "Central Park Five," now known as the "Exonerated 5," spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday, August 22, to support Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign.

Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, and Antron McCray were wrongly convicted of rape and assault as teenagers in 1989. Salaam, 50, Wise, 52, Santana, 49, and Richardson, 49, appeared on stage with civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton during the DNC's final night. McCray, 50, was absent.

During their trial, former President Donald Trump took out full-page ads in New York newspapers advocating for the death penalty. "Thirty-five years ago, my friends and I were in prison for a crime we did not commit. Our youth was stolen from us," Wise said. “Every day as we walked into courtrooms, people screamed at us, threatened us, because of Donald Trump." He expressed confidence that Harris, as president, would work towards fairness.

Salaam, now a New York City Council member, criticized Trump, referring to him as "45" and stating, “He wanted us dead. Today, we are exonerated.” He condemned Trump’s belief that hate drives America.

On April 19, 1989, Patricia "Trisha" Meili was found severely beaten and sexually assaulted in Central Park. The five teens—Santana and Richardson, 14; McCray and Salaam, 15; and Wise, 16—were arrested shortly after. After lengthy interrogations, they falsely confessed under pressure. The confessions were later recanted, leading to one of the most notorious miscarriages of justice in recent history. From April 27-28, 1989, all five were indicted on various charges and each served five to 13 years in prison. They were exonerated in 2002 after convicted murderer Matias Reyes confessed and DNA evidence cleared them.