What began as one of New York’s most infamous cases of wrongful conviction now stands as a testament to survival, solidarity, and systemic change.
The Parents and Family of the Central Park Five
Crucial figures who supported their children throughout their wrongful convictions, interrogations, and imprisonment, often facing intense pressure themselves.
Antron McCray
- Mother:
Linda McCray
- Stepfather:
Bobby McCray
- Key Detail:
Bobby McCray famously encouraged Antron
to confess to the police, believing it would allow the boy to go home.
– Antron has expressed deep resentment toward his father for this action in later years.
.
Kevin Richardson
- Mother:
Doris Richardson
(Note: The Netflix series When They See Us highlights his older sister,
Angie Richardson, as a primary supportive figure). - Father: Documentation from the case notes his father was ill during the trial and later passed away.
.
Raymond Santana
- Father:
Raymond Santana Sr.
- Key Detail:
Santana Sr. has remained a vocal advocate for his son and was a visible figure during the fight for exoneration and the subsequent $41 million settlement.
.
Yusef Salaam
- Mother:
Sharonne Salaam
- Key Detail:
Sharonne Salaam
was a fierce public advocate for her son throughout his imprisonment and was an educator who founded “Justice 4 the Wrongfully Convicted”.
.
Korey Wise
- Mother:
Delores Wise
- Key Detail: Wise was the only one of the five to be tried as an adult (he was 16) and served the longest sentence. His relationship with his mother was complex, as depicted in the DuVernay miniseries, partly due to the immense strain the case placed on their family.
- Antron McCray’s Parents: Antron’s father, Bobby McCray, was present during his son’s interrogation. Under intense police pressure, Bobby McCray convinced his son to confess to the detectives, believing it was the only way to help him, a moment often highlighted as a deeply tragic aspect of the case.
- Yusef Salaam’s Family: Salaam has spoken about how his family and faith were vital in getting him through seven years in prison.
- Korey Wise’s Family: Korey Wise, the oldest of the group, was in prison for 13 years. During this time, his sister, Marci, was killed.
The parents, along with their sons, maintained their innocence despite the coerced confessions and the “wolf pack” narrative pushed by the media and authorities in 1989.
In 2002, the district attorney withdrew charges that the “Central Park Five” had attacked a female jogger in 1989 and their convictions were vacated.
The mothers of the men shared their reactions to ABC News.
The mothers of the “Central Park Five”—Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Korey Wise, Yusef Salaam, and Raymond Santana—were pivotal figures in the fight to prove their sons’ innocence after the 1989 wrongful convictions.
They endured years of intense media scrutiny, racial bias, and legal battles before their sons were exonerated in 2002.
In this Aug. 11, 1990 file photo, Yusef Salaam enters State Supreme Court in Manhattan with his mother, Sharonne Salaam, on the third day of deliberations in the Central Park jogger trial. (Image: Phillip Schoultz/AP Photo)
- Initial Struggle: The mothers faced immediate pressure and public condemnation following the 1989 attack, with many facing difficulties navigating a legal system that presumed their children guilty.
- Solidarity and Support: They maintained their sons’ innocence throughout the trials and subsequent incarceration, frequently speaking out against the injustice.
- Exoneration: In 2002, when convictions were vacated based on DNA evidence and a confession from a serial rapist, the mothers reacted with overwhelming relief, though they expressed lasting pain over the stolen years.
- The Storytelling: Their, and their sons’, fight for justice was highlighted in various documentaries and the Netflix series When They See Us.
Their fight was a testament to survival against systemic injustice.
Oct. 21, 2002—Supporters rally in front of Manhattan Supreme Court to demand the 1990 convictions of Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, and Raymond Santana be overturned. (AP Photo/Robert Mecea)
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© Dale Ricardo Shields 2026
