New Idea – July 29, 2019

MEET THE ‘CENTRAL

PARK JOGGER’

WHEN THEY SEE US

BEHIND-THE-SCENES SECRETS

OF THE HARROWING

TRUE-CRIME SERIES

Real crimes

that inspired

a TV series

YUSEF SALAAM

ANTRON

MCCRAY

36

crime

special

APRIL 19, 1989

Trisha Meili entered Central

Park for her night-time jog

at 9pm. While running, she

was attacked from behind

with a tree branch, dragged

from the path, raped and

left for dead. At the same

time, 30 teenage boys

entered the park.

APRIL 20, 1989

Trisha was found close to

death at 1.30am and police

instantly connect her attack

with other crimes that night.

Police brought in five teens

and subjected them to

hours of harsh questioning.

Four of the boys confessed

to being involved.

APRIL

27-29,

1989

All five

teenagers

were

indicted on

counts of attempted

murder, rape, assault

and rioting.

MAY 10, 1989

Trisha regained

consciousness but could

not identify her

attacker. Donald Trump,

then a real estate

mogul, paid $85,000 for

full-page ads in New York

papers calling for the

death penalty.

AUGUST-DECEMBER 1990

Despite no DNA linking any

members of the Central

Park Five to Trisha’s rape

and assault, all five

teenagers were found

guilty. Korey, the eldest,

was charged as an adult

and was sentenced to five

to 15 years behind bars.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS