Bushwick Convict Exonerated
After more than 28 years behind bars, a Bushwick man, convicted in 1986, was released from lockup to his waiting family on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
The last time David McCallum walked as a free man he was 16-years old. He and a friend, Willie Stuckey, received 25 years to life for the murder, robbery and kidnapping of an Ozone Park man, but those charges have been vacated by Kings County District Attorney Ken Thompson.
As reported in the Times Newsweekly, McCallum was the subject of a documentary screened at the Bushwick film Festival. Among his supporters that worked to bring awareness to his case were the late Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, wrongfully convicted of murder, and “David And Me” filmmaker Ray Klonsky.
“After a thorough and fair review of the case by my Conviction Review Unit and the Independent Review Panel, I have concluded that their convictions should not stand and that Mr. McCallum should be released from prison,” Thompson said.
The DA added that the convictions could not stand because they were based solely on false confessions not supported by physical or testimonial evidence.
Stuckey died while serving his prison sentence.
McCallum called the moment bittersweet, and wished he and Stuckey could have shared it together, according to published reports,
