Prosecutors: DNA Clears Inmate of Rape

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- A Cuban national convicted of a 1982 rape in Key West will be released because DNA evidence proves he did not commit the crime, prosecutors said Monday. Orlando Bosquete, who escaped from prison twice, has been serving a 55-year sentence. He was convicted of breaking into the victim's home and raping her.

The victim identified Bosquete, 51, and an accomplice while she sat in a police car 20 feet away. The men had been picked up at a convenience store.

Prosecutors plan to ask a judge Tuesday to dismiss the conviction and sentence, said a spokesman for prosecutors. He said DNA tests not available two decades ago show Bosquete was not the rapist.

Bosquete is being represented by the Innocence Project, a nonprofit group based in New York. Spokesman Eric Ferrero declined to comment on the case.

Details here from the AP via the New York Times.