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Man wrongly jailed for murder as teen in 1991 finally exonerated

Posted at 12:00 PM, May 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-16 12:00:16-04

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. — John Bunn was just 14-years-old when when he was wrongly arrested for the murder of an off-duty corrections officer in Brooklyn.

John Bunn always maintained his innocence in the Crown 1991 Crown Heights shooting death of Rolando Neischer and the attempted murder of Robert Crosson, according to WPIX. He served 17 years in prison and was paroled in 2009, but he kept up the fight to clear his name.

Bunn worked with attorneys from the Exoneration Initiative for years. They were by his side as Brooklyn prosecutors dismissed the indictment against Bunn.

“I want to say thank you, your Honor, because for 27 years I have been fighting for my life,” he said.

Bunn's case was worked by former NYPD Detective Louis Scarcella, a retired officer accused of coercing confessions, manipulating witnesses and giving misleading testimony.

During his time in prison, Bunn heroically stopped the attempted rape of a prison counselor.

“I just feel overly blessed and I am thinking God that we reached this point,” Bunn told WPIX.