The Crime: A sleeping, pregnant woman was attacked and assaulted at knifepoint in her bed in 1985 in Texas. The victim gave police a detailed description of her attacker, including clothing, facial features, age and height. She said he was a white man whose skin was "a honey brown color." Four months later, the victim saw Byrd, who is black, at a grocery store and said he was the man who had raped her. Based on this identification, Byrd was convicted of rape and sentenced to life in prison.
The Exoneration: When Byrd was tried in 1989 in Harris County, Texas, DNA testing was not admissible. He had served 12 years in prison before DNA found at the rape scene was proven to exclude Byrd. He was freed and pardoned by then Texas Gov. George W. Bush in 1997. That year, he told Larry King that he is not angry with the judge who convicted him or the victim who falsely identified him. "I'm just not angry. I don't hold grudges," he said.
