Ken Wyniemko is one of two former

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

ers in

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

released on DNA evidence with help from the

Innocence Project Innocence Project, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal organization that is committed to exonerating individuals who have been wrongly convicted, through the use of DNA testing and working to reform the criminal justice system to prevent futur ...

. Wyniemko was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual misconduct on

circumstantial evidence Circumstantial evidence is evidence that relies on an inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact—such as a fingerprint at the scene of a crime. By contrast, direct evidence supports the truth of an assertion directly—i.e., without need ...

and the testimony of a prisoner informant, Glen McCormick, who now admits he lied in order to avoid life in prison. DNA testing was not regularly performed at the time, but even the primitive

blood test A blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a hypodermic needle, or via fingerprick. Multiple tests for specific blood components, such as a glucose test or a cholester ...

s of the time indicated that Wyniemko was not the perpetrator of the crime. Unlike most convicts, Wyniemko held on to all the paperwork relating to his arrest and trial. He spent almost a decade in jail, until he contacted the Innocence Project at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Since being released, Wyniemko has spoken at various colleges, such as

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

and the

Michigan State University College of Law The Michigan State University College of Law (Michigan State Law or MSU Law) is the law school of Michigan State University, a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan. Established in 1891 as the Detroit College of Law, it was the fi ...

, about his experience as a wrongfully convicted man. He often wears black clothes and a gold crucifix. Wyniemko believes that at least 1 of 10 persons behind bars are innocent of the crimes of which they were convicted. A civil suit, Wyniemko v. Clinton Township, was settled out of court for $3.7 million. Wyniemko now "plans to attend law school, doesn't count out a run for office someday." In August 2008, prosecutors announced that DNA evidence had tied another man, Craig Gonser, to the crime for which Wyniemko had been convicted, but that Gonser could not be tried because the statute of limitations had expired.

References

Stellini, N. (2005, March 11) After nine years behind bars, an innocent man tells his story. '' The South End'', Detroit, Michigan. {{DEFAULTSORT:Wyniemko, Ken Overturned convictions in the United States Living people People wrongfully convicted of rape Year of birth missing (living people)

See also

References