Nation IN BRIEF / NEW YORK : DNA Test Frees 17-Year Inmate

A 60-year-old man who spent 17 years in a New York prison after being convicted of rape became a free man after a DNA test cleared him. Vincent H. Jenkins, also known by the Muslim name of Warith Habib Abdal, was convicted of robbing and raping a 23-year-old woman who was attacked in a Buffalo, N.Y., nature preserve in 1982. He was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. His lawyer claimed improper police tactics prompted the victim to identify Jenkins months after the rape, even though she wasn’t initially able to do so. DNA evidence testing that was completed in April showed virtually beyond any doubt that Jenkins was not the rapist. The technology was not available when he was charged.