In this spellbinding account of the real facts of the Central Park jogger case, Sarah Burns powerfully reexamines one of New York City's most notorious crimes and its aftermath. On April 20th, 1989, two passersby discovered the body of the "Central Park jogger" crumpled in a ravine. She'd been raped and severely beaten. Within days five black and Latino teenagers were apprehended, all five confessing to the crime. The staggering torrent of media coverage that ensued, coupled with fierce public outcry, exposed the deep-seated race and class divisions in New York City at the time. The minors were tried and convicted as adults despite no evidence linking them to the victim. Over a decade later, when DNA tests connected serial rapist Matias Reyes to the crime, the government, law enforcement, social institutions and media of New York were exposed as having undermined the individuals they were designed to protect. Here, Sarah Burns recounts this historic case for the first time since the young men's convictions were overturned, telling, at last, the full story of one of New York's most legendary crimes.
Sarah Burns graduated from Yale University in 2004 with a degree in American studies and went on to work for Moore & Goodman, a small civil rights law firm based in New York. She is now producing a documentary film with Ken Burns based on this book. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Show more
In this spellbinding account of the real facts of the Central Park jogger case, Sarah Burns powerfully reexamines one of New York City's most notorious crimes and its aftermath. On April 20th, 1989, two passersby discovered the body of the "Central Park jogger" crumpled in a ravine. She'd been raped and severely beaten. Within days five black and Latino teenagers were apprehended, all five confessing to the crime. The staggering torrent of media coverage that ensued, coupled with fierce public outcry, exposed the deep-seated race and class divisions in New York City at the time. The minors were tried and convicted as adults despite no evidence linking them to the victim. Over a decade later, when DNA tests connected serial rapist Matias Reyes to the crime, the government, law enforcement, social institutions and media of New York were exposed as having undermined the individuals they were designed to protect. Here, Sarah Burns recounts this historic case for the first time since the young men's convictions were overturned, telling, at last, the full story of one of New York's most legendary crimes.
Sarah Burns graduated from Yale University in 2004 with a degree in American studies and went on to work for Moore & Goodman, a small civil rights law firm based in New York. She is now producing a documentary film with Ken Burns based on this book. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Show moreSarah Burns graduated from Yale University in 2004 with a degree in American studies and went on to work for Moore & Goodman, a small civil rights law firm based in New York. She is now producing a documentary film with Ken Burns based on this book. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
"Riveting. . . An important book.” –The Cleveland Plain
Dealer
“Burns’s gripping tale may serve as an allegory for some of the
most pressing criminal justice issues of our time.” –The New York
Times Book Review
“This is a controversial and important book, presenting a powerful
argument that the minority youths who are convicted of raping and
nearly murdering “the Central Park Jogger” were innocent of that
crime (though not necessarily of other violent crimes committed in
Central Park that night). It demonstrates that our justice
system is far from full proof even in the face of alleged
confession, eyewitness and forensic evidence. Were these false
convictions based on understandable mistakes? Or were they based on
racial stereotyping? Read this fine book and make up your own
mind.” –Alan M. Dershowitz, author of The Trials of Zion
"Burns is a calm, lucid, and concise writer."--NPR
“Gripping from start to finish, The Central Park Five is an
unvarnished look at one of the most infamous crimes in New York
City history. You may think you know the true story of the Central
Park jogger, but you don’t. Sarah Burns tells a harrowing story, in
which her only allegiance is to the truth.” –Kevin Baker, author of
Dreamland
“Remarkable…Straightforward, thought-provoking reportage.”
–Booklist
“A riveting retrospective.” –News Blaze
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