Wrongfully convicted men share stories at luncheon in Utica

By By EVAN WHITE

Story Created: Apr 20, 2009 at 4:50 PM EDT

Story Updated: Apr 20, 2009 at 6:12 PM EDT

UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - DNA evidence has helped clear hundreds of wrongfully convicted criminals. And on Monday, two of the most famous cases were told in Utica.

On Monday afternoon, Darryl Hunt, a North Carolina native, joined Kirk Bloodsworth of Maryland, and Steven Barnes of Marcy in a luncheon with local attorneys.

Hunt was convicted of the 1984 raping and killing of Deborah Sykes, a newspaper reporter. DNA evidence helped clear Hunt of the crime ten years later, but it would be another decade before he was released. He said state law regarding cases such as his took those ten years to change, resulting in just under 20 years served.

Bloodsworth was exonerated in 1993, nearly nine years after he was convicted of raping and killing a young girl in Maryland.
He spent the last two years of his sentence on death row.

Currently, both men are heavily involved with non-profit groups.
The Darryl Hunt Project for Freedom and Justice helps wrongfully incarcerated individuals, ex-offenders and advocates for changes in the criminal justice system.

Bloodsworth is the program officer of The Justice Project, which works to "increase fairness and accuracy in the criminal justice system."

Barnes is employed by Working Solutions in Oneida County, working with ex-offenders trying to get acclimated after time behind bars.
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

What's On