Eyewitnesses As Evidence Of Crime Essay

A myriad of people exist throughout the world; however, everyone has a different thinking process. Many people can recall information from ten years ago like it happened yesterday. On the other hand, some people can not remember what they ate for breakfast that day. The mind can play tricks on someone and confuse them. Unfortunately, the court system uses eyewitnesses as evidence of a crime. Therefore, many people are placed in jail for a crime they did not commit. The memory of a human being and the court systems are unjustified. Ralph Armstrong was twenty-seven years old when he supposedly raped and murdered Charise Kamps. On June 23, 1980, Charise Kamps, a student of University of Wisconsin, was sexually raped and murdered. That night she had been partying with some friends and Ralph Armstrong. Armstrong owed Kamps …show more content…
They tested body fluids, hairs, and blood to see if they matched Armstrong’s DNA. At the conclusion of testing, all of the evidence tested to be similar to Armstrong’s DNA. Another piece of evidence was the money Armstrong gave Kamps. The money was nowhere to be found at the scene of the crime, but Ralph had deposited three hundred and fifteen dollars in his bank account the next day. Armstrong’s attorneys fought for his innocence hard, however there tactics did not work (“Ralph Armstrong”). Ralph Armstrong was convicted of first degree murder and first degree sexual assault. On March 24, 1981 he was charged with first degree murder and first degree sexual assault, and sentenced to life plus sixteen years. Armstrong filed multiple appeals based upon new DNA testing that proved his innocence. Unfortunately, they were denied until 2005. The court granted him a new trial based on connections of DNA to Kamps’ boyfriend. After serving twenty-eight years, on August 19, 2009, Ralph Armstrong was exonerated (“Ralph