‘Wilding’ term coined after Central Park attack
On this day, April 19, in 1989, a young female stockbroker jogging in New York City’s Central Park was assaulted, raped and left for dead, giving birth to the word “wilding.” The victim survived, but her attack sparked massive public outrage. Donald Trump took out a series of full-page ads in the New York Times calling for a return of the death penalty.
Police arrested five teenagers, ages 14 to 16, who confessed to beating and assaulting her and others in Central Park during an activity that they called “wilding.” The teenagers were convicted, though they later said they were coerced into making false confessions.
Their convictions were overturned in 2002 after DNA evidence implicated convicted rapist and murderer Matias Reyes. Reyes confessed while serving a life sentence for separate crimes. – Scott McCabe
Scott McCabe
