Cornelius Dupree Jr. (born September 22, 1959) is an American who was declared innocent of a 1980 conviction for aggravated robbery, which was alleged to have been committed during a rape in 1979.
Prosecutors cleared him of the crime after a test of his DNA profile did not match traces of semen evidence from the case.
[1] Dupree, who was represented by the Innocence Project, spent more time in prison in Texas than any other inmate who was eventually exonerated by DNA evidence.
[5] He declined early release in 2004 in exchange for attending a treatment program for offenders because he felt it would have amounted to admitting guilt.
[3] Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins stated, "Our Conviction Integrity Unit thoroughly reinvestigated this case, tested the biological evidence and based on the results, concluded Cornelius Dupree did not commit this crime.