Where is Karen and Sharon Sanders’ Accused Rapist ‘Vincent Simmons’ Today? – If there is one word to define Vincent Simmons’ story, it is perplexing. He spent more than four decades in prison for a crime he has always denied committing. After all, as CBS‘ ‘48 Hours: Please Don’t Tell‘ documented, the case involves not only an alleged sexual assault on then-minor twin sisters Karen and Sharon Sanders, but also a great deal of racial difference.
Let’s find out more about the accused’s past experiences, reported transgressions, handling of this case, and present locations now that we know he’s finally free.
Must Read: Where Are Karen and Sharon Sanders Now?
Who is Vincent Simmons and What He Did?
Vincent Alfred Simmons was born on February 17, 1952, into a large family in Mansura, a tiny town in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. His life has been blighted by legal issues. He admits to getting into trouble with the law at a young age by doing a variety of little offences, although he only spent about 15 months in a juvenile institution for burglary.
“I was basically youthful and wild my whole life,” he previously told CNN. “I was doing stupid things,” he says, explaining why he moved to Texas at the age of 19 to start a fresh life.
Vincent had been cautioned not to return to his hometown by his loved ones, yet he did so anyway. He was captured five miles from his family’s home a week later (on May 23, 1977). He was a suspect in the alleged rape of 14-year-old twin sisters Sharon and Karen Sanders on May 9, especially because they couldn’t identify their attacker because “all Black people look alike,” as they put it.
Despite this, they both recognised him from a lineup of seven guys, where he was allegedly the only one wearing handcuffs though some cops maintain they were applied after the process. Vincent’s alibi is also important since the veracity of every witness who said he was at a neighbourhood bar at the time of the incident was called into question because of minor offences like trash and parking citations.
As if that weren’t enough, there were other inconsistencies between the twins’ police interviews and testimonies, but his team didn’t point them out to the jury during the 1977 summer trial. While the sisters claimed they had no idea who their assailant was at first, they later testified that they knew his name because he had introduced himself on that fatal night.
What Happened to Vincent Simmons and Where Is He Now?
Vincent was convicted on two counts of attempted aggravated rape despite the lack of fibre, blood, and DNA in the form of semen or sweat – virtually no proof. The word “attempted” in the indictment against him was odd enough, especially because the claim was only ever stated as “aggravated rape” in the police report and later in court.
Given the legal constraints, Vincent was sentenced to a minimum of 50 years in the Louisiana State Penitentiary on each conviction, to be served consecutively – a total of 100 years. Vincent, who has always maintained his innocence, filed numerous motions to inspect the evidence in his case, but he did not get his wish until 1993.
That’s when he first saw Sharon and Karen Sanders’ medical reports, which showed that neither twin had any bruises or other symptoms of physical injury. It further stated that because Sharon’s hymen was intact, it was unclear whether or not the male had penetrated her. As a result, Vincent began pursuing motions for a new trial based on the concealed material.
In 1977, Vincent Simmons was sentenced to 100 years in prison.
Decades later, a newly minted lawyer helped get him released. https://t.co/0hJoS7qukV pic.twitter.com/OUL3YMIsp4
— 48 Hours (@48hours) May 20, 2022
Vincent’s appeals were denied for over 28 years, until on February 14, 2022, an Avoyelles Parish Judge reversed his conviction and granted him a new trial. With the permission of the two women, the DA’s office quickly dismissed all charges against him, while simultaneously emphasising that “this is not a declaration of innocence.” As a result, Vincent was finally released after 44 years in prison.
Following his release, Vincent seemed to be enjoying the simple pleasures of life and readjusting to life in the real world. “Breathing the fresh air, walking outside, basically it’s freedom, to just enjoy the moment,” Vincent recently told ‘48 Hours,’ most likely still stationed in Louisiana. Despite all, the now-70-year-old is said to have no animosity or resentment against the twins.