In 1998, Luis Vargas was mistaken for the infamous “Teardrop Rapist” and sentenced to life in prison. Despite being completely innocent, three separate victims misidentified Luis as their attacker. It was not until crime scene DNA evidence was tested and found to match a serial rapist did the prosecution begin to have doubts about their conviction.

The Luis Vargas case highlights two important issues in the Criminal Justice System. The first is how easy it is to be misidentified by eyewitnesses. The second is why it’s so important to maintain evidence in good condition after a conviction. Without DNA evidence pointing to a known offender on the FBI’s Wanted List, Luis would probably have spent the rest of his life behind bars.

To hear this harrowing tale of suffering and redemption from the man who lived it, please tune in to the episode linked above.

Special thanks to our sponsor Clio – Cloud-Based Legal Technology.

Written by: 

Laurence Colletti