'Hello, truth!'
Robert McClendon has been in prison for 18 years for a rape he says he didn't commit. Now, DNA evidence newly available in the case shows he might be telling the truth.
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio -- Inmate Robert McClendon walked into a prison conference room yesterday with calm confidence, greeting his legal team with smiles and handshakes.
During 18 years in prison, the Columbus man has steadfastly denied the rape that put him there -- claims from a former drug dealer that few took seriously.
Now, he has a favorable DNA test.
The Ohio Innocence Project delivered the test results yesterday. The semen on the 10-year-old victim's underwear could not have come from McClendon.
"Hello, truth!" he exclaimed. With steely eyes and a choked voice, he added, "I never, ever raped anyone."
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/07/23/DNAtest.ART_ART_07-23-08_A1_HCAQP34.html?sid=101