Imagine the horror and injustice of being locked behind bars at the age of 14, for a crime you didn’t commit.
Whilst it may seem like the narrative of an ambitiously eerie Hollywood flick, it was the reality of life for 41-year-old John Bunn.
At just 14 years of age, Bunn was tried and convicted for the shooting of an off-duty correctional officer, Rolando Neischer, in 1991. 17 years later, he was released on parole, but still had to fight to clear his name.
He claimed to have been framed, along with another defendant, by corrupt former New York City detective Louis Scarcella. Now, more than 25 years later, he’s finally managed to obtain both justice and a sense of release.
It was August, 1991, when Bunn was convicted of second-degree murder – a conviction reportedly largely based on evidence planted by now-disgraced former New York City detective Louis Scarcella.
As an illiterate 14-year-old, Bunn stood little chance of fighting his own corner, despite claiming his innocence over any wrongdoing.
Now, however, he’s finally been exonerated, with Brooklyn Supreme Court justice Shawn’Dya Simpson overturning his conviction based on the evidence.
Standing in a Brooklyn courtroom, flanked by two attorneys, Bunn, now 41-years-old said: “Y’all had the wrong man this whole time and you have [someone] out there running free and y’all had no right to do what you did.”
Defense lawyer Glenn Garber told the court: “There were problems with this case that were very obvious. There was no probable cause to make an arrest.”
Bunn has been out of prison since 2006, having earned parole by way of stopping the attempted rape of a prison councillor. However, he had remained on a life-long parole until Simpson overturned his conviction – he’s now a free man.
Supreme Court justice Simpson herself was close to tears as she told Bunn: “I am more than emotional about this day. You were 14 at the time. This shouldn’t have ever happened.
“This case was tried . . ., a jury was picked, testimony was given and it concluded all in one day,” said Simpson. “I don’t consider that justice at all.”
Bunn’s co-defendant from 1991, Rosean S. Hargrave, was freed by Simpson in 2015, with his conviction being thrown out for having foundations in flawed police work.
For more on the case, and Bunn’s absolution of any wrongdoing, watch the video below:
It’s truly harrowing to consider that both Bunn and his co-defendant spent many years of their lives in prison based on false convictions. However, we can take heart from the fact that the wrongs have now – to some degree at least – been righted, and they can concentrate on resuming the life they deserve.
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