As Netflix drama is released, Central Park Five teen says Donald Trump wanted him sentenced to death for a rape he didn’t commit – but the worst part was trying to survive prison ‘jungle’
KOREY Wise can still remember the fear of hearing his cell door opening and knowing there was a good chance he would be beaten or even stabbed by other prisoners in the canteen.
He – along with four other black and hispanic teens – was just 16 when he was wrongfully arrested and charged with raping a white jogger in Central Park, New York, in 1989.
Following a highly publicised trial, Korey and his friends – who became known as the Central Park Five and are the inspiration behind new Netflix show, When They See Us – suffered years of hell fighting for their lives in America’s toughest prisons.
Korey was threatened on hundreds of different occasions, beaten to within an inch of his life, stabbed by fellow prisoners and tormented by guards as he tried to survive what he describes as the “jungle”.
He spent over three years in solitary confinement and was transferred to six different prisons throughout his violent incarceration.
But to make matters even worse, Trump – then an influential businessman – stoked the flames by calling for Americans to “hate” the innocent boys and even campaigned for their deaths.
He, like many other Americans was convinced the teens were guilty of the horrendous crime and was determined to see ‘justice’ done.
But when new evidence came to light in 2002 which proved their innocence, the five men were finally released – and Korey, now 46, and his friends’ tragic life story is the basis for hit Netflix show.
Now, in an exclusive interview with Sun Online, Korey tells us that he still blames Trump for putting him through 14 years of hell.
‘I was stabbed and stomped on’
Speaking from his New York home, Korey says: “The hardest part of being in prison was living in the jungle… living and trying to survive in the jungle.
“I got stomped on. I got my ass whooped. I was stabbed. I was tormented for damn near 14 years. In those moments, you are fighting for your life. You are fighting to survive.
He (Trump) tried to have us executed, man. I survived his bounty that was over my head. I survived prison.
“I don’t even want to think about him. I don’t want to give him no energy. If I came face to face with him now, I would blank him.
Caught up by mistake
Korey’s nightmare began on the night of April 19 1989 when 28-year-old Trisha Meili was brutally raped as she went for a jog through Central Park.
The highly educated finance worker was left for dead, losing 75 per cent of her blood due to severe trauma and a fractured skull.
At the same time of the attack, which Meili miraculously survived, a large group of youths were hanging out in Central Park.
Over the following two days, cops rounded up dozens of youngsters including the Central Park Five – Raymond Santana, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise.
Korey wasn’t on the list of suspects but was dragged into the case after going to the police station to support his pal, Salaam.
Following the arrests, Trump took out $85,000 worth of ads in all four major New York newspapers calling for the death penalty for the boys.
Trump, who was an influential property mogul at the time, also appeared on national television and called for Americans to “hate” to get “something done”.
‘All you can do is survive’
Following trial, the five young men were convicted of between 5-15 years in prison, despite there not being a single piece of physical evidence linking them to the crime.
At the time, the case shocked the world for the brutality of the attack and the controversy surrounding the arrests.
In the new Netflix mini-series, which has received rave reviews, the terrified youngsters are seen being coerced into false confessions by aggressive cops.
It also chronicles the trial, their time in jail and how they adjusted to life after being released.
The last and most shocking episode focuses on Korey, who received the longest sentence, as he attempts to survive adult prison.
Korey tells us: “I thought the show was very good. It wasn’t an easy thing to do but it is something that had to be done.
“I stayed in six different prisons but you don’t see numbers when you are fighting for your life. All you can do is survive when you are in there.
“But because I managed to survive, I was able to help bring about this Netflix series, so the world can see what goes on in prisons.
“People can see the truth of where their taxpayer dollars are going. I guess I am proud of what it shows. I guess you could say to some extent it was worth it.”
‘They’ll get what’s coming to them’
Korey, who always refused to admit to the crimes, even though it could have secured him an early release, was eventually let out of jail after being exonerated on December 19, 2002.
The other members of the group had all been released years earlier, except for Santana who was rearrested for drug offences.
Their exoneration came after the real attacker, Matias Reyes, confessed to raping Meili, and cops were able to match his DNA to the crime scene.
The four-part mini-series also singles out Linda Fairstein, who was the lead investigator in the case, as the chief antagonist.
Fairstein, who was played by Felicity Huffman, always believed the boys were guilty of their crimes even after they were pardoned.
She has since attacked the show saying it was full of “fabrication” but has since been dropped by her publisher and prodded into standing down from three charities.
Korey believes that people like her will get what is coming to them in the wake of public outrage over the series.
He added: “I have some anger towards people who work for the system.
“You can’t lump all the good apples and bad apples together. You got to keep them apart to see what is good and what is not good.
“But it went well with the Linda Fairstein situation. She has had to resign from her position because everything she has done is finally catching up with her.
“I was feeling pain and agony, but seeing her resign made me feel better. It means people are watching and people are listening.”
Multi-million dollar settlement
Following a ten-year legal battle with the city of New York, the Central Park Five were eventually awarded a settlement of $41 million in 2014.
Korey received the largest portion of the settlement, $12.2 million, as he spent the longest time in jail.
He now spends his days hanging out with old childhood friends in New York, working as a public speaker and enjoying his freedom.
Korey admits he still suffers from post-traumatic stress and spends a lot of time on his own.
The humble hero also wants to thank all his fans and is very proud that he is now touching new audiences as far away as England.
He added: “I don’t have a big group of friends as I am very anti-social but I still hang around with some people who grew up with me.
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“I don’t have no family, my family is friends. I live on my own. I like to be on my own. I plan to start my own family in due time but right now I am too busy.
“Thank you, England, for accepting me into your home. I hope to one day in my life come out there to embrace the people.
“I want to show some appreciation to all the people out there.”
When They See Us is available on Netflix now.