David McCallum and the late William Stuckey, who were just 16 years old when they were wrongfully convicted of murder and kidnapping in 1986, had their convictions vacated Wednesday by a Brooklyn judge. Although initially during videotaped interviews each suspect had accused the other for being responsible for the murder, both McCallum and Stuckey immediately recanted their confessions. According to Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth P. Thompson, the contradictory confessions had “false fed evidence,” or details about the murder that seemed to have been provided by an outside party. Additionally, Assistant District Attorney Mark Hale said that McCallum and Stuckey’s convictions were tainted by false testimony, and the confessions were “the product of improper suggestion, improper inducement and perhaps coercion.”
McCallum and Stuckey maintained their innocence since their convictions. Unfortunately, Stuckey died of a heart attack in 2001 while he was still in prison. Exoneree Rubin (Hurricane) Carter, former professional boxer who was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1967, assisted McCallum in his fight for innocence by writing a letter to DA Thompson in February asking him to investigate the case. The subsequent examination found no DNA evidence, physical evidence, or reliable testimony linking McCallum or Stuckey to the kidnapping or killing of the victim.
28 years after his arrest, McCallum was released Wednesday after a Brooklyn judge dismissed the indictment.
“This is a bittersweet moment because I’m walking out alone,” said McCallum. “There’s somebody else who is supposed to be walking out with me but isn’t, and that’s Willie Stuckey.”
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