Two men who were wrongly convicted of raping a woman 27 years ago were exonerated in Manhattan Supreme Court on May 7 after serving over two decades in prison.

Gregory Counts, 46, and VanDyke Perry, 48, had been falsely charged with rape, sodomy and kidnapping in 1991. Perry was released in 2001 after spending 11 years in prison. Counts served nearly 27 years behind bars before being released on parole in 2017.

The judge formally dismissed the case after DNA tests showed the two men were not linked to the crime. The Manhattan district attorney’s office worked on the case with The Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization.

A woman had accused Perry and Counts of forcing her into a car at knifepoint in Queens, New York. She said they repeatedly raped her as they drove around the neighborhood. The alleged victim said she knew Perry and Counts because they dealt drugs with her boyfriend.

Perry and Counts were convicted even though the case lacked evidence connecting them to the crime. In addition, both men had solid alibis. The prosecution based its case on the woman’s testimony despite its inconsistencies.

The woman admitted recently she had fabricated the rape complaint in order to protect her boyfriend who had shot Perry in a drugs dispute. However, the district attorney’s office said she will not face charges for the false testimony as the statute of limitations has expired.

Being wrongly convicted of a crime can turn a person’s entire life upside down. If you have been accused of a sex crime, contact the skilled lawyers at Brill Legal Group. We will provide an aggressive defense and fight to protect your rights.