Letter/envelope set from the wrongfully convicted New York resident.
This auction is for a letter from exonerated rapist and murder John Restivo. In 1985, Restivo, with innocent accomplices Dennis Halstead and John Kogut, were arrested and convicted of the 1984 rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in New York. Police manage to pry a false confession out of Halstead, after 18 hours of interrogation. Years later DNA evidence would exonerate all three of any involvement with the victim. Prosecutors, unhappy with that news, elected to indict all three, retying Dennis Halstead first. The new evidence was, to put it mildly, pure bologna bread and the verdict was a finding of factual innocence! The remaining two indictments against John Restivo and John Kogut were dropped and all three men were released. They spent 18 years in prison for a crime they didn't commit.
ITEM DESCRIPTION: The missive is one page and signed, "John." The original mailing envelope is postmarked 4/4/1997. The letter and envelope come inside a protective magazine sleeve with an acid free board and have been stored flat. Message me with any questions you might have. Thanks for having a look-see.