On the left is a picture of a guy named, Thomas Haynesworth, who served 27 years for several rapes on white women he did not commit. On the right is the guy who actually did commit the crime. Haynesworth was chosen because for one he was a black male, and he was identified by one of the victims while going to the grocery store to pick up items for his mother. There are many different characteristic that stand out for each male, specifically height. All women noticed their attacker was tall, 5′10 to be exact. One victim who stood 5′8 said the attacker was taller than her, Haynesworth was only 5′6. Why was he chosen when they all knew that his height was distinctly different than what they remember? Race plays a huge role. This case is a prime example of the labeling theory.
