When They See Us: How long were the Central Park 5 in prison?

Netflixs When They See Us has become one of the must-see series of 2019, as Ava DuVernay powerfully recounts the story of the Central Park Five and their fight for justice.

The four-part series tells the story of the notorious 1989 case and what followed – with a cast that includes the likes of Michael K Williams, John Leguizamo, Felicity Huffman and Vera Farmiga.

Since it debut on Netflix last month the case has come under the spotlight once again – with a new generation learning the shocking facts of what happened for themselves.

So just how long did the Central Park Five spend in prison before their conviction was overturned?

Heres what you need to know.

How long were the Central Park Five in prison?

Overall the Central Park Five spent between six and 13 years in prison.

The five in question – Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise – were wrongfully convicted of raping a woman, Trisha Meili, who was found clinging to life in Central Park in the early hours of 20 April 1989.

Salaam, McCray and Santana – who were all 14 and 15 years old at the time – were sentenced to between five and 10 years in a youth correctional facility, which was the maximum sentence allowed for juveniles.

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Richardson, who was 14 at the time, was later sentenced to between five and 10 years in a juvenile facility, while Wise, who was 16, was given 5-10 years in an adult prison.

The five had initially been brought in for questioning in the wake of a string of other attacks committed by a gang of over 30 teenagers in Central Park on the same night – with four of them later confessing to the crime after hours of police interrogation, while implicating the fifth.

They were exonerated in 2002 after a convicted murderer and rapist, Matias Reyes, confessed to the crime – and they went on to sue New York City for malicious prosecution, rRead More – Source