Who is Raymond Flanks?

by | Nov 1, 2024 | Ethics, Law

Title page with pic of Raymond Flanks

Raymond Flanks is a man who was wrongfully convicted of murder and spent nearly 39 years in prison before being exonerated and released in 2022.

Arrest and Conviction

In December 1983, at the age of 20, Flanks was arrested for robbing a New Orleans supermarket. While in custody, police found a gun on him that they wrongly connected to the fatal shooting of an elderly man named Martin Carnesi during a botched robbery. Despite inconsistencies in the eyewitness testimony and evidence, Flanks was convicted of murder in 1985 and sentenced to life without parole.

Incarceration and Exoneration

Flanks spent most of his time incarcerated at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, known as Angola. He maintained his innocence throughout his imprisonment, writing to the Innocence Project multiple times. In 2020, the Innocence Project New Orleans took on his case and uncovered that the prosecution had withheld key evidence that might have led police to another suspect.

On November 17, 2022, at the age of 59, Flanks' conviction was overturned, and he was released from prison after nearly 39 years of incarceration. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys argued for the conviction to be overturned due to the inconsistencies in the eyewitness testimony that were kept from the original jury.

Personal Life

During his time in prison, Flanks reconnected with Cassandra Delpit, an old friend from his neighborhood who became his life partner. They bonded during visits at the Angola Prison Rodeo, where Flanks would sell crafts he had made.

Flanks' case highlights issues within the criminal justice system, particularly in Louisiana, which has one of the highest exoneration rates in the country. His exoneration was made possible through the efforts of the Innocence Project New Orleans and the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Civil Rights Division.

Brandon Blankenship
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