Social Justice
Shamel Capers Was Wrongfully Imprisoned At 16, Eight Years Later, He Walks Free
Capers was one of two men convicted in the murder. Ever since, he has always maintained his innocence.
Shamel Capers was 15 years old when he was convicted and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the 2013 fatal shooting of a 14-year-old honor student.
Capers was one of two men convicted in the murder. Ever since, he has always maintained his innocence.
Last week, the Brooklyn man walked away a free man.
New York exonerates Shamel Capers
Capers was exonerated after prosecutors said they uncovered new evidence that proved the other man convicted in the case, Kevin McClinton, was the sole shooter.
The Queens district attorney moved to overturn Capers conviction.
Authorities released the now 24-year-old after serving eight years for the murder.
“For there to be justice in the criminal justice system, and public faith in its outcomes, it is incumbent upon us as prosecutors to follow the facts to wherever they lead,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a release. “Presented with credible new evidence that undermined the integrity of the convictions against these men, we could not let miscarriages of justice stand.”
Teen girl shot while riding a bus
14-year-old D’Aja Robinson was on the Q6 bus in Jamaica, Queens heading home from a friend’s birthday party when gunfire hit the bus, Katz’s office said, describing the shooting as a “gang-related dispute” not connected to Robinson.
The man responsible, a purported gang member named Kevin McClinton, was arrested and later convicted for the murder.
One year after the fatal shooting, Capers was arrested based on the account of another alleged gang member, Lael Jappa, who testified Capers shot into the bus before McClinton took the gun and continued firing. Jappa received a “significant sentence reduction” on unrelated charges, the district attorney’s office said.
According to reports, New York City-based law firm Debevoise & Plimpton later provided evidence to the Queens District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit that ignited an investigation into Caper’s conviction. Recorded phone calls from 2014 between Jappa and his mother revealed he lied, knowingly giving prosecutors false information.
Ultimately, Jappa recanted his testimony to prosecutors.
“My thoughts today are with D’aja Robinson’s family,” Katz said. “This motion might not be easy for them to accept, but they can take comfort in knowing that the solely culpable individual, Kevin McClinton, will be spending a very long time in jail, perhaps the rest of his life.”
McClinton continues to serve a prison sentence of 25 years to life.