I was just 17 years old when I was wrongfully convicted. I spent nearly 30 years in prison for a crime I did not commit, but on December 20, 2017, I finally walked out of a courtroom in Brooklyn, New York, as a free man.
Ten years into my prison sentence, I began running to channel my energy at a time when I could not see a path to freedom. Running, to me, isn’t just about health: It’s therapy for the mind, too.
Soon after my exoneration, I challenged myself to run the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon to stay healthy and stay grounded. I wanted to show people that I am one of the lucky ones because there are countless innocent people who still need our help. That’s why I’m proud to share that I’ll be running again with Team Innocence Project — including Sara Doody, who worked on my case with my attorney Nina Morrison while she was a Cardozo law clinic student — in the NYC Half Marathon on March 15.
Mark Denny (right) and Sara Doody (left), who worked on Mark's case while interning at the Innocence Project, on a run in Prospect Park. Photo: Bess Adler for The Wall Street Journal.
In my case, I was misidentified in a flawed police lineup procedure and wrongfully convicted of a 1987 rape and robbery in Brooklyn. I always maintained my innocence and refused to admit any “guilt” even if that meant I would be denied parole. I waited a long time — nearly 30 years — for justice. And I know there are still many other innocent people fighting for their chance to be free again.
The Innocence Project exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. www.innocenceproject.org
