09/08/2014
2 Murder Convicts Exonerated 30 Years After False Confession
A North Carolina judge exonerated two brothers Tuesday who spent more than 30 years behind bars for a horrific crime they didn't commit. The brothers were 15 and 19, but had the IQs of fourth graders, when after hours of police questioning they confessed to murdering an 11-year-old girl. Newly found DNA evidence cleared the brothers and linked the crime to another convicted murderer.
■Class discussion: How often do confessions turn out to be false? Can you find any other examples of false confessions? Should lawyers be present during police interrogations? One of the brothers was facing execution in the case. Do you support capital punishment when you consider the number of death row inmates that have been cleared by DNA evidence? Do you think any innocent people have been executed?