Thomas Haynesworth was wrongfully imprisoned for nearly 27 years for a series of sexual assaults that he did not commit. DNA testing and other evidence proved his innocence and he was released on parole March 21, 2011. Through a Writ of Actual Innocence based on a combination of DNA and non-DNA evidence, the Virginia Court of Appeals exonerated him on December 6, 2011.

The DNA testing that proves Haynesworth’s innocence also implicates the actual perpetrator, a serial rapist who was convicted of several similar crimes in the area. More information here.