Ronnie Long's wrongful conviction might appear shocking: No physical evidence, false testimony, decades in prison. Experts say "it's not an outlier."

The wrongful conviction of Ronnie Long might appear shocking: No physical evidence, false testimony, a conflicting description of the suspect – then 44 years in prison for Long.

But experts and advocates aren’t surprised: They say U.S. prisons are filled with potentially thousands of innocent people. While Long’s case is particularly egregious, experts told USA TODAY some of the factors that led to his imprisonment are still causing wrongful convictions today.

Archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20240117125405/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/01/12/ronnie-long-exonerated-many-innocent-in-prison/72187322007/

Relatedly from the Intercept, “Crime Scene DNA didn’t match Marcellus Williams. Missouri may fast track his execution anyway.” (archived