In Re: Central Park 5 -- Introducting Mike Sheehan
Mike Sheehan, now a TV correspondent for Fox Channel 5, defended the original probe yesterday despite DNA evidence that links the rape to another man not among those charged with the crime 13 years ago.
Sheehan also denied that the youths' confessions were coerced or obtained by trickery.
They confessed "to a lady prosecutor ... on videotape in detail" in front of their parents and guardians, he said.
"Where's the coercion?"
Sheehan is the first cop or prosecutor connected with the original investigation to speak out since Matias Reyes, a jailed killer and convicted rapist, stunned authorities by admitting he raped the jogger.
The retired homicide detective vented outside Manhattan Supreme Court in a clash with defense lawyers who faulted the first probe and accused prosecutors of stalling efforts to exonerate the youths, now all adults.
Not mentioned in the article: Sheehan was in on the arrest of Reyes weeks after he and others coerced "confessions" from the CP5. This is a clear case of protecting your ass in the face of credible evidence of police/prosecutorial misconduct. That or complete incompetence that allowed Reyes to rape and kill while seemingly innocent citizens were jailed.
Expect a big update some time next week. Don't hold me to early in the week, though.
Posted by ronn at September 14, 2002 01:18 AM