This is from the Generation Why Podcast:
“Ronnie Long. April 25, 1976. Concord, North Carolina. A man enters a home through an upstairs window and rapes the woman who lives there. Detectives work quickly to solve the case. Within 15 days of the attack, the woman will head to court after being asked to go there to see if she could recognize the man who had raped her. After an African-American man named Ronnie Long walks by where she is sitting, she positively identifies him as the one responsible. Police had discovered strong similarities between her description of the man and Ronnie Long and what they were wearing. With that, they believe they have the right man in custody. Later, a jury will agree and find him guilty of rape and burglary. He was given two concurrent 80 year sentences.”
Like so many of these wrongful conviction cases, it is only later that the truth starts to emerge including the fact that there were serious issues with the investigation and prosecution of Ronnie Long.
We speak to Ronnie Long’s wife, Ashleigh about his story.
