For 30 years, New York City’s Central Park has served as the origin of unspeakable anguish for Korey Wise, Raymond Santana, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, and Yusef Salaam—more commonly known as the Central Park Five but now known as the Exonerated Five. But in an unexpected full circle moment, it would appear that Wise has found solace in what was once a source of tremendous suffering.
The New York Post reports that the 46-year-old purchased a $925,000, 803-square-foot condo in Harlem that overlooks Central Park, complete with a washer/dryer, oversized windows, and an open kitchen—a far cry from the prisons he was unjustly condemned to for 14 years of his life.
Since his exoneration, the eldest of the Exonerated Five has blossomed into an activist and public speaker; worked extensively with the non-profit organization the Innocence Project; and was awarded the Man of Vision Award in March from the National Action Network.
In 2014, the Exonerated Five reached a settlement with New York City for their wrongful convictions in the 1989 rape and beating of 28-year-old Trisha Meili. Of the $41 million awarded, Wise received $12.2 million.
Since the release of Netflix’s When They See Us, Wise and the rest of the Exonerated Five have been showered with adulation and praise for both their courage and resilience. So it’s wonderful to see that despite all the adversity he’s faced throughout his life, he’s still able to attain some much-deserved peace.