Virginia Supreme Court clears Indiana man in 1975 rape

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The Supreme Court of Virginia has cleared an Indiana man in the 1975 rape of a Virginia woman.

Winston Scott of Greenfield was sentenced to 14 years in prison after he was convicted in the attack on a Reston woman on July 24, 1975. He served about five years before being paroled.

The victim identified Scott from a photo array and during his 1976 trial.

On Thursday, the Virginia Supreme Court cited DNA evidence in issuing a writ of actual innocence for Scott. The decision vacates his convictions.

In a unanimous opinion, the court said DNA testing had “scientifically proven” that Scott was not the source of sperm found on jeans the victim put on right after the attack or the male DNA found on a vaginal swab.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Scott’s exoneration may be the last resulting from a massive post-conviction DNA testing project begin in Virginia in 2005 that has cleared 13 innocent people of serious crimes.

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