Betty Tyson
Betty Tyson (June 29, 1948 – August 17, 2023) was a black woman known for her wrongful conviction in the murder of an American businessman in 1973.[1] Tyson, who was 24 at the time of her arrest, spent 25 years in prison, becoming New York State's longest-serving female inmate until her release on May 28, 1998.[2][3] Her case prompted allegations of police misconduct, coerced testimony, and the exposure of evidence fabrication by a detective, leading to her eventual exoneration.[4] After her release, Tyson struggled financially but was known for her positive transformation in prison, where she found religion, earned a general equivalency diploma, and acquired various vocational skills. She is considered to be a symbol of the potential for miscarriages of justice within the American legal system.[5][6][4]
References
- ^ "Betty Tyson - National Registry of Exonerations". www.law.umich.edu. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ "Conviction Canceled, She Is Free For the First Time in 25 Years (Published 1998)". May 28, 1998. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ Dobbin, Ben (December 19, 1999). "Woman's Years in Prison Make Freedom Tough". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ a b "Betty Tyson, who spent 25 years in prison for wrongful conviction, dies at age 75". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ Roberts, Sam (August 22, 2023). "Betty Tyson, Who Was Wrongfully Imprisoned for Murder, Dies at 75". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ Isaac, Taunja (January 1, 2014). "MINUS 25 Betty Tyson". Rochester Institute of Technology. Theses.
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- 1948 births
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