Dewey Bozella
| Dewey Bozella | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  American |
| Known for | Serving 26 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit |
Dewey Bozella (Born 1959) is a former amateur boxer who is best known for being falsely imprisoned for a murder he did not commit. Convicted in 1983 for the murder of an elderly woman, Bozella served 26 years in prison before having his conviction overturned in 2009.
Alleged Offence and Conviction
In 1977, 92-year-old Emma Crapser was murdered in her Poughkeepsie, New York apartment. Police alleged that Crapser walked in on a burglary that was being committed by a then 18 year old Bozella, who then killed her. In 1983, Bozella was convicted of murder and sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. He continued to claim he was innocent and refused to admit to the crimes he was alleged to have committed, even when in front of the parole board, who denied him parole on four occasions. Bozella wrote the Innocence Project, who agreed to look into his case. When the Innocence Project discovered that there was no DNA evidence remaining to be tested, they referred the case to WilmerHale. Lawyers at WilmerHale discovered new evidence, that had been supressed by prosecutors, that showed Bozella was innocent. Supreme Court Justice James Rooney of Putnam County agreed that the Dutchess County district attorney had failed to disclose crucial evidence which would have proved Bozella’s innocence. In October of 2009, Bozella was released from prison after serving 26 years.
Prison Life
Bozella was imprisoned at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York. While incarcerated at Sing Sing, he became prison boxing champion.
Life After Prison
In October 2009, after being released from Sing Sing, Bozella began working with youths at a local gym in Newburgh, New York. At the gym, which is now closed, he worked with teenagers teaching them about boxing and about the dangers of joining a gang.
Bozella, currently lives in Fishkill, New York with his wife, Trena. While accepting an award in 2011, he told an ESPN reporter that he still dreams to have at least one professional fight one day.
2011 ESPY Awards
On July 13, 2011, Bozella's life was chronicled in ESPN's annual ESPY Award show in the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, where he was honored as the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
References
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewey_Bozella
