Convicting the Innocent
DNA Exonerations Database

McKinley Cromedy

First Name McKinley
Last NameCromedy
Year of Conviction1994
Year of Exoneration1999
State of ConvictionNew Jersey
Trial, Bench Trial, or Guilty Plea2 Trials
Type of CrimeRape
Death SentenceNo
Gender of ExonereeMale
Race of exonereeBlack
JuvenileNo
Description / Quotes from Testimony Concerning Defense

● Defense argued mistaken identification

Did the defendant testify at trial?No
Types of evidence at trial
  • Eyewitness
  • Forensic Evidence
Type of Forensic Evidence
  • Fingerprint
  • Serology
Types of Flawed Forensics
  • Valid (Excluded) (Non-probative)
Brief Quote / Description of Testimony

Analyst testified that latent prints excluded Cromedy. Analyst correctly explained masking where the victim was an A secretor and Cromedy was an A non-secretor and the specimens had A and H antigens. “Q. So, what you are basically saying is that the underpants, the panties, and vaginal swab, the source of the blood groups A H could have been either from the victim or from the attacker? A. Correct.”

Identity of eyewitness
  • Cross Racial Identification
  • Victim
Lineup Procedures
  • Mug shots
  • Showup
Suggestive Procedures

Yes ● Show-up ● Suggestive remarks

Quotes from testimony #1

Victim saw man she recognized as attacker on street and called police. Police then asked her to come to the station, saying, “we think we have who you described to us, canyou come down and ID him.” Victim then viewed Cromedy in a holding cell with police officers in uniform.

Unreliable Identification?

Yes ● Discrepancies in description – gap in teeth ● Initial nonidentification

Quotes from testimony #2

Victim did not identify Cromedy’s photo when looking at mug shots. “Q: Do you know whether or not she looked at McKinley Cromedy’s picture when she looked through those numbers of slides? A: Yes she did.”

Highest level reachedNR
Claims Raised During All Appeals and Postconviction
  • Jury Instructions
Claims granted, resulting in preexon. reversal
  • Jury Instructions
Harmless Error Rulings
  • G
Citations to judicial opinions

State v. Cromedy, 727 A.2d 457 (N.J. 1999)

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