Ronald Cotton served 11 years in prison for a rape he did not commit before DNA evidence conclusively proved his innocence. This evidence led to his exoneration, demonstrating that he had been wrongfully convicted and incarcerated for over a decade.

DNA Exoneration of Ronald Cotton

After his initial conviction for rape, Ronald Cotton was sentenced to prison for life plus 50 years. Although he was granted a new trial after four years, Jennifer Thompson testified against him once again, resulting in an even harsher sentence of two life terms.

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In 1984, Jennifer Thompson, a college student, was raped and subsequently identified Ronald Cotton as the perpetrator from police photos and a lineup. Although she was initially uncertain, a detective reinforced her choice, which contributed to her false identification of Cotton. This case serves as a prominent example of how unintended police cues can lead to eyewitness misidentification.

Jennifer Thompson and Ronald Cotton Case

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

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