Case classification: Exonerated

Anthony Broadwater was convicted in 1982 in connection with the 1981 sexual assault of author Alice Sebold in Syracuse, New York. He served 16 years in prison and remained under the effects of the conviction for decades.

A judge vacated Broadwater’s conviction in November 2021 after prosecutors acknowledged serious flaws, including a failed lineup identification and reliance on microscopic hair comparison evidence later recognized as unreliable. New York later agreed to a $5.5 million settlement.

The case demonstrates how cross-racial identification problems and discredited forensic methods can contribute to wrongful convictions. It should be documented without attacking the survivor of the original assault.

• May 1981: Alice Sebold was assaulted in Syracuse.
• 1982: Anthony Broadwater was convicted.
• 1999: Released after serving 16 years.
• November 22, 2021: Conviction vacated.
• March 2023: New York settlement reported.
• 2026: Separate civil-rights litigation was still being contested.

Broadwater is exonerated. New York settled his wrongful-conviction claim for $5.5 million, while later reporting stated that separate civil-rights litigation against local entities continued.

• How did the failed lineup identification affect the original trial?
• What surviving records document prosecutorial or identification procedures?
• Were alternative suspects or comparable cases adequately investigated?
• What reforms followed the exoneration?

Featured image source: Katrina Tulloch/The Post-Standard via AP. This is a rights-managed news image and should not be imported without a license.

This record concerns a conviction that has been vacated. Hall of Records relies on court-related reporting, prosecutorial statements, and settlement reporting and does not relitigate the original assault against the survivor.