K’vaughn Hines, 19, was charged with rape in January and spent more than four months behind bars before a DNA test exonerated him.
His attorney, James Shalleck, told the Maryland Gazette, “This is a case of an example of why DNA testing is so important. If innocent people can be exonerated, it’s worth the inconvenience to take a sample from somebody. When I visited [Hines] in jail, I could see his frustration. Many say they didn’t do it and are still convicted. This is just a case that just cries out for the need of more DNA testing.”
Hines was identified by witnesses who claimed they were at the scene of the crime, a Metro station, the night of the rape. While the DNA tests finally freed him from prison, Hines suffered through a terrible ordeal. He faced death threats while in prison, was kicked out of his apartment and lost his job. Hines, who has no criminal record, faced life in prison. “I was trying to get used to being in jail for the rest of my life,” he told The Gazette. “I wanted to commit suicide.”
Hines is currently living with his grandmother and trying to rebuild his life. “Sometimes I just sit it in the dark, but I’m just going to take my blessings and run with it because it could have been way worse.”
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