Danziger and Ochoa
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Richard Danziger and Christopher Ochoa were wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of Nancy DePriest. The crime occurred on November 24, 1988 at a Pizza Hut in Austin, Texas. Under police coercion Christopher Ochoa confessed first to the rape and then only to the murder of DePriest. In order to avoid the death penalty he agreed to testify against his friend Richard Danziger for the other crime.
Years later another prisoner, Achim Marino, serving three life sentences began writing letters to police, the DA, Governor Bush, a newspaper, and the ACLU, confessing to the rape and murder of DePriest. He said he did not know Ochoa or Danziger or why anyone would confess to a crime he had committed. Marino had apparently undergone a religious conversion while attending AA/NA and felt obliged to confess his responsibility for the DePriest murder. Although Marino exhibited detailed knowledge of the crime, the letters had little effect. Austin Police did go to interview Ochoa, but he continued to profess guilt. Later he explained that he feared claiming innocence would hurt his chance for parole.
Three years later Ochoa reconsidered and contacted the Wisconsin Innocence Project. After DNA tests were done, both he and Danziger were exonerated and released in 2001. The tests also confirmed that Marino was the perpetrator. While in prison, Danziger was severely beaten by another prisoner and suffered severe brain damage that incapacitated him for life. Danziger and Ochoa were awarded $9 million and $5.3 million respectively in 2003 for 13 years of wrongful imprisonment.
