It was denied to him in prison during the 18 years he spent confined for a rape he did not commit. Mcclendon agreed the windows were a problem and only received a warning. Fears luck changed, however, when ohio innocence project client robert mcclendon was exonerated in fears county in 2008. Can ohio end wrongful convictions that sent 83 to prison over past. The obituary was featured in the columbus dispatch on april 17, 2008. Testing exonerated robert mcclendon and joseph fears, both of columbus, and ray towler, of cleveland, who served a combined 72 years for rapes they didnt commit. Man celebrates 5 years of freedom wbns10tv columbus.
Mcclendon is one of 30 inmates in ohio who were identified to have. An update on the ohio ip and columbus dispatch project, 5. Wrongful convictions continue to afflict ohios justice system, the. Dna diagnostics center, a lab north of cincinnati, agreed to conduct tests on mcclendon and other inmates for free as a public service after the columbus dispatch published a series in january. Shortly after sunrise, the inmates in the stark prison yard cheered wildly and pumped their fists for robert mcclendon as he took his final steps toward freedom. During 18 years in prison, the columbus man has steadfastly denied the rape. We found 253 records in 38 states for robert mcclendon in the us.
Robert mcclendons phone number, email, address spokeo. The ohio innocence project, in conjunction with the columbus dispatch, selected mcclendon s case as one of 30 that best advanced dna evidence standards. Also sitting in the courtroom today was robert mcclendon, a columbus man released in august after serving 18 years for a child rape that dna showed he didnt commit. Fiftyfouryearold robert mcclendon was released in august 2008. Seventeen years after robert mcclendon was sentenced to life in prison for allegedly raping his own daughter, a joint investigation by the ohio innocence project and the columbus dispatch led to dna testing that proved his innocence and exonerated him of the crime. Robert mcclendon innocents database of exonerations. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and. Mcclendon appeared in a columbus courtroom, still in handcuffs and leg shackles, wearing jeans. The dispatch daily newspapers for columbus, starkville. Dna test frees convicted ohio rapist us news crime. For 18 years, robert mcclendon professed his innocence and denied that he was the person who raped the 10yearold girl in a vacant columbus home, 10tvs angela an reported. Dispatch sponsored imagination library provides a free book each month to lowndes county children under the age of 5.
It was an exchange with columbus dispatch reporter mike wagner, whose reporting. Randy ludlow is a senior reporter for the columbus dispatch and blogs on open. They have also lived in dallas, tx and rockwall, tx plus 1 other location. The suburban police officer pulled over robert mcclendon mainly because the tinted windows on his luxury car were too dark. But during the traffic stop last summer, mcclendon had taken off his seat belt to reach for his registration and was eventually cited for not wearing.
Bobbie lived in columbus all his life and was retired from loeb electric where he worked for many years. Dna test frees convicted ohio rapist after 18 years in. After 83 people serve 888 years for crimes they didnt do, ohio. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as. The ohio innocence project and the columbus dispatch series on test of convictions helped mcclendon get dna testing that provided evidence that the crime was committed by someone else. Innocence project august, 2017 17 years after robert mcclendon was sentenced to life in prison for allegedly raping his own daughter, a joint investigation by the ohio innocence project and the columbus dispatch led to dna testing that proved him innocent. In july 2008 dna testing of semen on the girls underwear preserved in the rape kit excluded mcclendon as her. Robert is related to grace wilhite mcclendon and jennifer j mcclendon. Columbus dispatch obituaries 1985 2020 columbus, oh. Hello truth has meaning for robert mcclendon, ddcs dna diagnostics center first innocence network exoneree who was freed through forensic dna testing in 2008. Bellefontaine examiner bellefontaine buckeye lake beacon buckeye lake chillicothe gazette chillicothe circleville herald circleville business first columbus columbus alive columbus. Columbus, ohio a judge freed a man monday who had spent nearly 18 years in prison on a charge of raping a 10yearold girl after a lab reexamining cases across ohio showed that his dna. After 18 years, dna test frees man from prison wbns10tv. Randy ludlow is a senior reporter for the columbus dispatch and blogs on open government and transparency.
Columbus oh 43215 do not sell my personal information cookie policy do not sell my. Hello truth, robert mcclendon of columbus walks into a courtroom in. In 2007 and 2008, working closely together, the ohio innocence project and reporters from the columbus dispatch along with an ohio lab who dna tested the evidence for free, found that the semen that was found on. Robert mcclendon celebrates 11 years of freedom today.
Robert mcclendon rejoins his family as a free man the columbus. Meet our exonerees university of cincinnati college of law. Robert mcclendon spent 17 years in prison for the rape and kidnapping of his own tenyearold daughter. Robert mcclendon served 18 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of the rape of a 10 year old girl. The top state of residence is texas, followed by california. Seventeen years after robert mcclendon was sentenced to 15 years to. Searching obituaries is a great place to start your family tree research. Mcclendon was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Seventeen years after robert mcclendon was sentenced to life in prison for. Ohio wrongly convicted man goes free ray towler prison. Robert mcclendon celebrates the freedom denied to him in prison during the 18 years he. The average robert mcclendon is around 52 years of age with around 47% falling in to the age group of 5160.
Robert mcclendon j, 69 macon, ga has court or arrest. It was an exchange with columbus dispatch reporter mike wagner, whose reporting plays prominently in. Mcclendon planned to go to the home of a relative in columbus on monday. Five could not be tested because their evidence had been lost or destroyed. The ohio innocence project, in conjunction with the columbus dispatch. Convicted rapist released after testing wrought by. Even more so after the april 10, 2011, ddc forensics unveiling of ddcs newly named dna analyzer, hello truth, in honor of mcclendon and his poem by the same name. The ohio innocence project delivered the test results yesterday. Robert mcclendon seventeen years after robert mcclendon was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for allegedly raping his own daughter, a joint investigation by the ohio innocence project and the columbus dispatch led to dna testing that proved his innocence and exonerated him of the crime. Dna evidence in the case shows robert mcclendon might be telling.
Greeted by family members wearing shirts saying hello truth, robert mcclendon of columbus walks into a courtroom in 2008 moments. Robert mcclendon served 18 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of the. View full size shari lewis columbus dispatch robert mcclendon, of columbus, was released in august 2008 after spending nearly 18 years in prison. Dna clears ohio man of rape after 18 years cbs news. Log in or sign up for facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. The columbus dispatch shari lewis dispatch joseph r. Testing also has confirmed the guilt of four others. Robert mcclendon national registry of exonerations. Columbus dispatch robert mcclendon celebrates the night.
Robert mcclendon in texas tx 31 records found whitepages. On august 11, 2008, ohio exoneree robert mcclendon was released from prison and exonerated after serving 18 years for a rape of a 10 year old girl he did not commit. Robert mcclendon obituary columbus, oh the columbus. Robert mcclendon news the columbus dispatch columbus, oh. His exoneration in 2008 came after advanced dna testing proved he did not contribute to the evidence found on the girls underwear.
Mcclendon robert louis mcclendon, bobbie, passed away in his home april 10, 2008. At ross correctional institution, mcclendon and fears enjoyed schooling the young guys on the basketball court. Mcclendon is one of 30 inmates in ohio who were identified to have legitimate claims of innocence in the investigation conducted by the columbus dispatch together with the ohio innocence project. Ohio man imprisoned for 18 years freed after dna test. Robert mcclendon was wrongly convicted in april 1991 of the april 1990 kidnapping and rape of a 10yearold girl.