Pennsylvania man acquitted of rape after DNA exoneration

August 2, 2005

Thomas Dowell was released after serving nearly 20 years in prison for the rape of a 48-year-old woman at a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania hospital. He was acquitted after a judge ordered a DNA test on the semen taken from the rape victim. In 1986, Dowell was sentenced to spend 13 to 26 years in prison on the rape charge. He was denied parole four times because he would not accept responsibility for the crime he was convicted of. He was released from prison and acquitted of all charges.