A harrowing account of mistaken identity: A rape survivor helped send a man to prison for life, only for DNA evidence to prove his innocence 10 years later (FULL VIDEO)

In 1984, a man broke into to college student Jennifer Thompson’s apartment while she was sleeping and raped her in her bed, but she did her utmost through the assault to scrutinize every aspect of his appearance so she could give police as complete a description as possible. She helped create a composite sketch that swiftly led to an arrest, and her testimony sent Ronald Cotton to prison for both her rape and another woman’s for two life sentences.

Ten years later, DNA evidence proved that Cotton was not, in fact, Thompson’s attacker, and that the actual rapist was a similar-looking man Cotton had been blaming throughout the appeals process. While Cotton sat in prison, that man committed dozens of other violent crimes, including six rapes — leading Thompson to the horrifying realization that her mistaken identification not only sent an innocent man to jail, but also allowed a rapist to walk the streets free.

“If we’re going to talk about wrongful conviction, we also have to talk about wrongful liberty,” Thompson said. “…Everybody gets hurt. Everybody is failed — everybody except the perpetrator, who lives to be free.”

Pay It Forward Happy Hour to benefit Broadmoor Improvement Association, Love in Action Outreach

Trepwise and the Eiffel Society are hosting a Pay It Forward Happy Hour this Wednesday to highlight two local nonprofits. November’s “trepwork for good” event will have a “Feed It Forward” theme and will showcase two nonprofits with food pantries: Broadmoor Improvement Association and Love in Action Outreach.

Food donations will also be accepted at this event, and the heaviest non-perishable food donation will receive a prize.

Happy hour prices will be available all night long with $3 beers, $5 house wine, $6 well drinks and signature cocktails. Guests can enjoy curated cocktails such as the “NourishMint Julep,” as well as a rum punch—both $5.

Yo Joe! October Housing Report & Real Estate Advice

I’m Joe Gerrity, local businessman, investor and Real Estate Broker. For my monthly “Yo Joe!” column, I’ll be answering your real estate questions as well as providing market information and housing statistics.
I believe the main responsibilities of a Realtor are to add value and facilitate mutually beneficial transactions, and through this column I hope to help the New Orleans community make more informed decisions about their housing future.
Yo Joe! What do rising interest rates mean for the housing market?

Generally speaking, it’s not great. While still not too far from historical lows, and definitely below the 30-year average, rates are rising across the board. From single and multi-family, to commercial and renovation loans, the cost to borrow money is going up. It’s increasing the cost to own homes, and in most cases, that is detrimental to a buyer’s ability to buy a home. There will be less buyers qualified to buy certain properties, and it may very well price certain people out of their preferred area.

Home tour on Saturday showcases the weird

New Orleans residents with eccentric, funky, offbeat homes will open their doors Saturday for the second annual Weird Homes Tour.

Back by popular demand, the New Orleans Weird Homes Tour will take place on Saturday, Nov. 10, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The national Weird Homes Tour, founded in 2014, celebrates unconventional homes in unique cities. During a self-paced, self-driving tour, visitors will see eight of the most magical and weird homes New Orleans has to offer.

First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans celebrates 200 years

The First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans—second oldest Protestant church in New Orleans—turns 200 this year. The church will celebrate both its own history and the history of the Presbyterian Church in the city with a festive weekend of events on Nov. 10 and 11.

Festivities will begin on Saturday, Nov. 10, with a Birthday Bash for all ages at the church, located at 5401 S. Claiborne Ave. Activities will include a scavenger hunt and a bounce house, along with food and beverages hosted in the churchyard. The bash will be held from 2 to 5 p.m.

Police arrest two men, seek another in string of burglaries

The New Orleans Police Department has arrested Cecil Bonnee, 27, and are seeking Jaylon Williams Williams, 22, in connection in connection with numerous auto and residential burglaries occurring between Oct. 14 and Oct. 20. Another man was booked with two unrelated auto burglaries occurring in October.

During this time frame, the Second District received reports of 30 auto burglaries. Due to the above-average number, Second District detectives, task force members and district platoons began an aggressive campaign to track down all leads and increase patrols in an effort to identify and locate those responsible. Through the continued investigation, detectives found the same two subjects were observed in numerous videos that were obtained by Second District officers of auto burglary incidents.