Innocence Files: What Happened To Thomas Haynesworth
What happened to Thomas Haynesworth, a subject in Netflix documentary The Innocence Files? Directed by Liz Garbus, the Haynesworth episode in the Netflix docuseries examines the social factors that led to the Richmond, Virginia native's wrongful conviction for rape, and a subsequent 74-year sentence. The Innocence Files released on Netflix in April 2020.
In 1984, Haynesworth - then 18 years old - was identified by a rape victim, Janet Burke, as her attacker. The Innocence Files on Netflix deconstructs the timeline of events, and shows how the unreliability of human memories affected the case. For example, Burke identified Haynesworth in a picture lineup, but only after the police revealed that they had arrested one of the individuals. The implication is that she felt pressure to make an immediate decision. From there, The Innocence Files breaks down the cross-race effect, or how people from difference races perceive faces differently, evidenced by various white interviewees who believe that Haynesworth and original suspect Leon Davis look similar, in contrast to African-American interviewees who point out the facial differences. The Netflix docuseries also addresses the weapon focus effect, or how witness ID accuracy is decreased because of the cerebral attention paid to a physical weapon.
The Innocence Files reveals that a technician meticulously organized crime scene evidence in her notebook, just in case in would be helpful in the future. As it turns out, The Innocence Project - founded by Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld in 1992 - used that notebook full of DNA evidence to clear Haynesworth's name, and to identify the aforementioned Davis as a serial rapist who terrorized women during the '80s. In The Innocence Files on Netflix, Burke speaks extensively on camera abut her mistaken ID, and how she was able to move forward in life by speaking with Haynesworth, who was exonerated in 2011 after serving 27 years.
In the present, Haynesworth and Burke are reportedly working together for speaking engagements. They briefly appear on camera together in The Innocence Files on Netflix, but there's clearly some tension for obvious reasons. Now, Haynesworth has embraced his accuser as an ally, stating "I told her, ‘You are an inspiration because most people don't come forward and say they're sorry, say they made a mistake. You've done that - you're doing that.” [via Esquire]
After Haynesworth's exoneration, he received a $1,075,178 compensation package from the State of Virginia. In addition, he reportedly landed a job with Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, which began in the mail room and led to a promotion as deputy of operations. In The Innocence Files, Cuccinelli is prominently featured as an unlikely supporter given his conservative background. Now a free man, Haynesworth was right all along about his original theory about Richmond's serial rapist. In The Innocence Files, he reveals that initially tipped off police about Davis and the man's limp that connected him to other cases. Unfortunately, a simple twist of fate (and the misapplication of memories) resulted in a major miscarriage of justice.