Apr 16 2008
Thomas McGowan cleared by DNA and released today in Dallas County
Thomas McGowan spent the last 23 years in prison for a sexual assault he did not commit. DNA cleared McGowan of that crime earlier this week, and he was released from incarceration today. McGowan is the 16th Dallas County man to be proven innocent by DNA testing since 2001. Dallas County continues to have more DNA verified wrongful convictions than any other county in the United States.
McGowan, who was represented by Jason Craeg and Barry Scheck from the Innocence Project, fell victim to an eyewitness misidentification. Erroneous eyewitness IDs are a leading factor in wrongful convictions, and they have played a role in nearly all of the Dallas County exonerations. For more information about proposed reforms to eyewitness identification procedures, please visit the Innocence Project website at www.innocenceproject.org. For more information regarding McGowan’s incarceration and release, please visit the articles below.
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