Accuser Recants in Lionel Tate Case
Posted on Wed Jun 22, 2005 at 11:14:13 AM EST
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Conservatives made a lot of noise when Lionel Tate, who was sentenced to life in prison for a murder he committed at age 13, and then released, got rearrested. Now, the boy who accused him of the new crime has recanted.
A 13-year-old boy has recanted his statement that Lionel Tate - once the youngest American sentenced to life in prison - robbed a pizza delivery man at gunpoint, Tate's lawyer said Wednesday.
Attorney James Lewis said the boy, Taquincy Tomkins, has now told private investigators that a 16-year-old Tomkins knows only as "Willie" actually committed the May 23 robbery. Tomkins said he blamed Tate under pressure from Broward County sheriff's investigators and because "Willie" threatened to kill him, according to a transcript of the statement provided by Lewis.
Tate's life sentence was overturned on appeal and he was released on a plea bargain after serving three years. The deal placed him under house arrest for a year, followed by 10 years of probation.
But Tate was re-arrested last month and charged with armed robbery. Police said a print matching Tate's had been found on one of four pizza boxes delivered to the apartment where the holdup occurred. They also said Tomkins and the pizza delivery man identified Tate.
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