The Central Park Five
Sarah Burns
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1989 · New York
The Central Park Five
Disputed justice
Photo credit
Metropolitan Transportation Authority · CC BY 4.0. Cropped/resized. Adaptations use the same license.Photographs are cropped to fit. Photo dates and original images are available through the source credits.
Five teenagers were wrongly convicted after the 1989 assault of jogger Trisha Meili in Central Park. Their convictions were vacated in 2002 after another man confessed and DNA supported his account. Documentary and dramatic treatments examine the interrogations, racialized coverage, and consequences for the five.
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The Story
When1989
WhereNew York
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The Central Park Five
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Blogs & Essays
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Blogs & essays
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Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
True Crime & Authors · Blog / essay
The Central Park 5— A Confession America Wanted
An outside blog or essay discussing The Central Park Five. Read the author’s analysis alongside the dated reporting and court sources in this case guide. Some publishers require a subscription.
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thecrimelady · Substack · Blog / essay
The Crime Lady: The Central Park Narrative
An outside blog or essay discussing The Central Park Five. Read the author’s analysis alongside the dated reporting and court sources in this case guide. Some publishers require a subscription.
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Books
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Books
1 itemsSarah Burns
The Central Park Five
Book-length account or personal perspective. This link provides bibliographic details; compare the author’s account with reporting and records.
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Movies & TV
Movies
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TV & documentaries
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Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
PBS
The Central Park Five
Nonfiction screen coverage of this case. The linked page identifies the program or episode; playback, subscriptions, and regional availability vary.
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Ava DuVernay · Netflix Scripted Limited Series
When They See Us (2019)
A dramatization of the prosecution and later exoneration of the five teenagers in the Central Park jogger case. The series uses actors and reconstructed dialogue; it is distinct from the documentary The Central Park Five.
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Audiobooks
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The Central Park Five
Search Audiobook Editions · paid linkSarah Burns
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
Ava DuVernay · Netflix Scripted Limited Series
When They See Us (2019)
A dramatization of the prosecution and later exoneration of the five teenagers in the Central Park jogger case. The series uses actors and reconstructed dialogue; it is distinct from the documentary The Central Park Five.
Fiction / DramatizationOfficial Series Information · Check Viewing Availability
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Podcasts
Podcasts
15 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Apple Podcasts
Oprah’s Super Soul — When They See Us Now, Part 2
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
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The New Yorker Radio Hour
Ava DuVernay on “When They See Us,” About the Boys Who Became the Central Park Five
Podcast coverage of the The Central Park Five case. Released June 4, 2019. About 29 minutes.
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I Could Murder A Podcast
The Central Park Five
Podcast coverage of the The Central Park Five case. Released August 28, 2023. About 85 minutes.
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Legally Brunette
Killer Thriller: Jharrel Jerome Says Playing Central Park Five’s Korey Wise Changed Him Forever
Podcast coverage of the The Central Park Five case. Released May 24, 2026. About 30 minutes.
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Not Guilty
The Central Park Five Pt. 1: “Wilding”
Podcast coverage of the The Central Park Five case. Released May 23, 2019. About 50 minutes.
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Strange and Unexplained with Daisy Eagan
The Central Park Exonerated Five
Podcast coverage of the The Central Park Five case. Released May 21, 2026. About 47 minutes.
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True Crime Obsessed
The Central Park Five
Podcast coverage of the The Central Park Five case. Released July 31, 2018. About 57 minutes.
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Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present
Killer Thriller: How the Central Park Five Case Destroyed Korey Wise’s Life
Podcast coverage of the The Central Park Five case. Released May 28, 2026. About 30 minutes.
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True Crimecast
Radical Injustice - The Central Park Five
Podcast coverage of the The Central Park Five case. Released February 16, 2021. About 34 minutes.
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Not Guilty
The Central Park Five Pt. 2: The Sixth Man
Podcast coverage of the The Central Park Five case. Released May 30, 2019. About 53 minutes.
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Legally Brunette
Killer Thriller: How the Central Park Five Case Destroyed Korey Wise’s Life
Podcast coverage of the The Central Park Five case. Released May 28, 2026. About 30 minutes.
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Morning Cup of Murder
The Eastside Slasher and the Central Park Five - April 19 2026
Podcast coverage of the The Central Park Five case. Released April 19, 2026. About 14 minutes.
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Wikipedia Crime
Central Park Five: Die Wahrheit hinter dem Justizirrtum
Podcast coverage of the The Central Park Five case. Released August 17, 2026. About 16 minutes.
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Crimepod Puerto Rico
Matías Reyes | The Central Park Five
Podcast coverage of the The Central Park Five case. Released January 22, 2025. About 25 minutes.
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Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present
Killer Thriller: Jharrel Jerome Says Playing Central Park Five’s Korey Wise Changed Him Forever
Podcast coverage of the The Central Park Five case. Released May 24, 2026. About 30 minutes.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
4 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
OverDrive · Library Access
The Central Park Five — Ebook
Sarah Burns. Related reading for The Central Park Five. Check participating libraries for this edition. Borrowing requires an eligible library card; availability and waits vary.
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Open Library · Catalog / Availability
The Central Park Five by Sarah Burns
Bibliographic record for related reading. Check the edition page for previews, lending and other access options; full text has not been confirmed.
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Google Books · Catalog / Availability
The Central Park Five
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
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Everand · Subscription Access
The Central Park Five — Ebook
Sarah Burns. Related reading for The Central Park Five. Check the current subscription terms and available sample; trial offers are not permanent free access.
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Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
1 itemsThe Washington Post
Reporting on The Central Park Five
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
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Newspaper clippings
1 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
The Herald-News · 2002-12-06 · Page 38
Prosecutor seeks to vacate the five convictions
An Associated Press report explains the DNA evidence and recommendation to vacate the convictions.
Published shortly before the convictions were vacated; the men were exonerated.
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Internet Archive
4 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · Library record · 2011
The Central Park Five
Sarah Burns. A library catalog record for a book connected with The Central Park Five. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
The Young Turks With Cenk Uygur : CURRENT : April 6, 2012 7:00pm-8:00pm PDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Central Park Five. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
Ken Burns : CSPAN : April 13, 2013 11:40pm-12:40am EDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Central Park Five. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Internet Archive · Preserved web page
T2U8-9TNU: Brett Kavanaugh, Laquan McDonald, and the Presump…
A preserved web reference related to The Central Park Five. This is a historical capture, so later reporting may differ; access to the captured page can vary.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Vacatur opinionOfficial court
People v. Wise — order vacating the Central Park Five convictions
Judge Charles Tejada’s opinion granting the motions to vacate the five defendants’ convictions. The link opens the official bound volume at PDF page 503, where this opinion begins; the download contains other cases as well.
- Court / agency
- New York Supreme Court, New York County
- Document date
- December 19, 2002
- Case / citation
- 194 Misc. 2d 481 · Indictment 4762/89
- Hosted by
- New York Law Reporting Bureau
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
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Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
6 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
CBS News
The nightmare of the Central Park Five
Video from CBS News covering the The Central Park Five case. Length: 2:41.
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CBS Mornings
Central Park Five get $40M from NYC
Video from CBS Mornings covering the The Central Park Five case. Length: 2:45.
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CBS Sunday Morning
The Central Park Five: A cautionary tale of injustice
Video from CBS Sunday Morning covering the The Central Park Five case. Length: 7:16.
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CNN
Officer disputes Netflix portrayal of Central Park Five case
Video from CNN covering the The Central Park Five case. Length: 9:43.
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ABC News
One Night in Central Park l 20/20 l PART 3| ABC News
Video from ABC News covering the The Central Park Five case. Length: 7:42.
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ABC News
One Night in Central Park l 20/20 l PART 4 | ABC News
Video from ABC News covering the The Central Park Five case. Length: 7:45.
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