Johnny Briscoe

Johnny Briscoe of St. Louis, Missouri, spent 23 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

In 1983 he was convicted for a rape, he did not commit. On October 21, 1982, an unidentified man broke into a woman’s home and raped her. Before leaving, the rapist told the victim that his name was John Briscoe, and she told to the police immediately after he left. As a result, Briscoe was sentenced to 45 years in prison, as the medical examiner ruled that his hair resembled hair found at the crime scene.

In 2006, the laboratory analyzed cigarette butts that were found at the crime scene. The analysis showed that the DNA on the cigarette butts matched another person who had already served term in one of the Missouri prisons. This man knew Briscoe and used his name in the crime. Briscoe was released.

15 years after his release, Briscoe demanded compensation for the time he spent behind bars. In July 2021, a court ruled that Briscoe would receive a check for $36,000 each year for the next 20 years.