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The Central Park Jogger case inflamed the media in the New York area at the turn of the 1990s, with many commentators using it as a metaphor for longstanding urban issues involving crime, race, and gender. On the evening of April 19, 1989, while jogging in New York's Central Park, 28-year-old investment banker Trisha Meili was raped, beaten, and left near death. Meili suffered severe blood loss and a skull fracture, and was expected to remain in a coma. She later recovered, but with no memory of the attack.
Media coverage of the case was clamorous and seemingly never-ending, and intensified when five black teenagers were announced as suspects, and then charged for the crime. The teenagers had apparently been roaming the park harassing bystanders. Although minors, their names were released to the media by police.
The youths were convicted in 1990, after a controversial trial in which they claimed that police had coerced confessions from them. In 2002, Matias Reyes, a convicted murderer and rapist who was serving a life sentence for other crimes, confessed to being the only perpetrator of the attack. DNA evidence confirmed Mathias's account, and the convictions of the five prior defendants were vacated.
Meili reportedly remained in seclusion until after Reyes's conviction. Her identity had largely been withheld from the public -- although several journals, including the Harlem-based Amsterdam News, printed her name in response to the release, by police, of the names of the juvenile defendants. Meili's name gained public notice in 2003, when her book, I Am the Central Park Jogger was published. Meili now works as a motivational speaker.
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Fast Facts:
- Meili was born June 24, 1960
- Raised in New Jersey and Pittsburgh
- Worked at the Wall Street investment bank, Salomon Brothers
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Central Park Jogger on Amazon
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The Central Park Jogger Case (American Justice) - $24.99
It was a brutal attack that embodied the fears that many people had about New York City in the late '80s, and the incident and its aftermath were trumpeted in headlines across Amer...Amazon
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Unequal Verdicts: The Central Park Jogger Trials - $23.00
An examination of one of the biggest rape cases in decades reconstructs the attack on the Central Park jogger; presents interviews with gang members, police, witnesses, and oth...Amazon
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I Am the Central Park Jogger - $15.00
For the first time since the brutal assault in 1989 -- a crime that stunned New Yorkers, the nation, and the world -- the Central Park Jogger reveals her identity and tells the sto...Amazon
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I Am the Central Park Jogger: A Story of Hope and Possibility - $15.00
Shortly after 9:00 P.M. on April 19, 1989, a young woman jogs alone near 102nd Street in New York City's Central Park. <P> She is attacked, raped, savagely beaten, and left f...Amazon
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Central Park Jogger Questions
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Which is more interesting, Central Park or Adirondack Park? 2 AnswersI have to go with Adirondack for sheer scope . . . "Spanning six million acres, the Adirondack Park is a green island of mixed forests, rugged mountains, lakes,... read more -
What is the central plane of the Universe? 2 AnswersBecause the observable universe is only a tiny fraction of the entire universe, we have no way of knowing where we are in relation to its center, or whether the... read more -
Are central banks essential for economic function? 1 Answerprobably not...it connects the strength of a country's economy to it's banking system...otherwise the consumer would be at far greater risk when it used a bank ... read more -
Can I park in a handicap parking spot? 3 AnswersI would say no, although you might be able to talk your way out of a ticket in court if you show that you got one and when you were injured (but that would be a... read more
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