Stefanie A. Murphy on WPRI For Case Of Falsely Imprisoned Man
Posted in General on January 20, 2023
“PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) — For nearly four decades, a man convicted of raping a woman at knifepoint has maintained his innocence.
But now, Norberto Andrade’s attorneys believe advancements in forensic genealogy will finally exonerate the 61-year-old.
Andrade was arrested back in August 1985 for supposedly attacking a 19-year-old woman in her third-floor apartment. The victim described her assailant as being 5 feet, 4 inches tall with brown skin and a Portuguese accent.
Then 24, Andrade was charged with rape after the victim identified him in a photo lineup. In 1987, he was sentenced to life in prison.
Michael Zarella, Andrade’s former lawyer, told 12 News he spent years searching for the forensic evidence connected to the investigation.
“The only way he was going to get it flipped was through DNA evidence,” Zarella said.”
