Robert DuBoise: 37 Years in Prison for a Crime He Didn’t Commit
In 1983, an 18-year-old from Tampa, Florida, was accused of the brutal murder of a young woman. His name was Robert DuBoise, and his life changed forever that day. The charges were based on an alleged bite mark and the testimony of a jailhouse informant — fragile evidence that would keep him behind bars for 37 years.
Decades later, an old sexual assault kit, long archived and forgotten, was re-examined. DNA analysis revealed what DuBoise had been saying all along: he was innocent.
After his release, the city of Tampa awarded him $14 million in compensation — one of the largest payouts in Florida’s history for a wrongful conviction.
Today, Robert DuBoise faces the challenge of rebuilding his life in a society vastly different from the one he knew as a teenager. His case stands as a powerful reminder of how flawed justice can completely destroy an innocent life.
