Korey Wise

Last updated

Korey Wise
Born
Kharey Wise

(1972-07-26) July 26, 1972 (age 52)
Known for Central Park jogger case

Korey Wise (born Kharey Wise, July 26, 1972) [1] [2] is an American activist who travels the United States advocating for criminal justice reform. Wise shares his stories of being wrongfully convicted in the Central Park jogger case (along with Raymond Santana Jr., Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, and Yusef Salaam) for the attack on Trisha Meili, a 28-year-old white woman who was jogging in Central Park, as well as attacks on eight other people on the night of April 19, 1989. [3] Wise spent approximately 14 years incarcerated, maintaining his innocence from 1989 until he was exonerated in 2002.

Contents

Central Park Five

At 16 years old, Wise was the oldest of the so-called "Central Park Five", five teenagers wrongly sentenced in the Central Park jogger case. He was the only one of the five to serve all his time in the adult prison system. He was not a suspect in any of the crimes initially, and freely accompanied his friend to the police station. Once there, however, detectives decided to interrogate him about the rape of Meili, despite his name not originally being on the list of suspects. [4] [5] After prolonged police interrogation, Wise eventually gave a taped confession to the crime, despite not having committed it. Wise was convicted of assault, sexual abuse, and rioting. Wise was exonerated in 2002 after Matias Reyes admitted to the crime and DNA testing proved his guilt. [6] In 2014, Wise and the other four exonerated convicts settled a federal lawsuit against New York City, winning $41 million. [7]

After the Central Park jogger case took place in 1989, Donald Trump put out full-page newspaper ads in New York calling for the execution of the Central Park Five. [8]

Activism

In 2015, Wise donated $190,000 to the University of Colorado Law School Innocence Project, which was renamed to the Korey Wise Innocence Project. [9] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wise helped provide sustenance to senior residents in Harlem. [10] Wise, along with Yusef Salaam, spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, endorsing Kamala Harris for United States President and criticizing Donald Trump for calling for his execution. [8]

Personal life

In July 2019, Wise purchased a condominium overlooking Central Park. He was the only one of the five who chose to continue to reside in New York City after his release until Yusef Salaam returned to Harlem to run for a New York City Council seat in 2023. [11] Wise has a learning disability and is hard of hearing. [12]

Korey Wise has a sister named Vanity, who is a transgender woman. His other sister, Marci, who was also transgender, was killed while Korey was in prison. [1]

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Yusef Salaam is an American politician, motivational speaker, and activist currently serving as a member of the New York City Council, representing the city's 9th councilmatic district since 2024. A member of the Democratic Party, Salaam was one of the Exonerated Five who were wrongfully convicted of raping a woman in Central Park in 1989.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Korey Wise's Sister, Marci Wise, Was Murdered While He Was in Jail". Heavy.com. June 7, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2021. Wise, who changed his first named from Kharey to Korey...
  2. ↑ Chandra Thomas Whitfield (August 8, 2019). "We talked with one of the Central Park Five about Netflix's "When They See Us"". In These Times. Retrieved July 10, 2021. One of the most magical components of our story is this young man changed his name from Kharey to Korey...
  3. ↑ Kassin, Saul (November 1, 2002). "False Confessions and the Jogger Case". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  4. ↑ Rajani, Deepika (July 6, 2019). "Korey Wise now: what happened to 'Central Park Five' member portrayed in When They See Us". inews.co.uk. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  5. ↑ Finn, Heather (June 5, 2019). "Why Korey Wise's Story in 'When They See Us' Is Hitting Viewers Especially Hard". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Innocence Project: Korey Wise". Innocence Project. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  7. ↑ Bentley, Drake. "What to know about the 'Central Park Five,' who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Mays, Jeffery C. (August 23, 2024). "Members of 'Central Park 5' Say Trump Is Too Dangerous for Second Term". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  9. ↑ McGhee, Tom (July 4, 2019). "Korey Wise's donation gave CU's Innocence Project real power. A Netflix series on the Central Park 5 is making it even stronger". Colorado Sun . Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Everyday heroes help Harlem seniors in need". April 2, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  11. ↑ Meara, Paul (July 7, 2019). "The Exonerated Five's Korey Wise Buys Million Dollar Apartment Overlooking Central Park". Black Entertainment Television . Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  12. ↑ Wong, Alice (July 10, 2019). "Korey Wise Represents So Much More in "When They See Us"". Disability Visibility Project. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
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