In a poetic full-circle moment, Exonerated Five member Korey Wise has reportedly purchased a $925,000 Harlem apartment overlooking Central Park. What was once considered the location for where all his troubles originated is now a picturesque view accenting how far he’s come.
According to reports, the 803-square-foot condo was listed at $960,000, however, 46-year-old Wise purchased it for $35,000 less. The listing includes a washer and dryer, large windows and an open kitchen. The unit also boasts hardwood floors, a marble bathroom with porcelain flooring and central heat and air.
In April 1989, Wise along with Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Raymond Santana, and Yusef Salaam were tried and convicted for the beating and rape of then 28-year-old Trisha Meili who went jogging in Central Park. All the boys served about seven years, except Wise who was 16 at the time and tried as an adult. He spent 14 years behind bars where he endured unspeakable abuse.
In 2002, Matias Reyes, already in prison for another crime, confessed to the rape of Meili, which led to Wise’s release and the five’s exoneration. In 2014, New York City awarded the men $41 million, but never apologized for the gross incompetence which led to their convictions.
In May 2019, Ava DuVernay’s four-part series When They See Us streamed on Netflix dissecting the ins and out of the boys’ lives, and how the media, police and then real estate developer Donald Trump, aided in their wrongful conviction.
Congrats to Korey. This is well deserved.
