Two Decades Lost - Help Abdul Build His Life Back

Please help to fund an innocent man who lost over two decades of his life as a victim of wrongful conviction. We know that we cannot give time lost back to Abdul Rasheed, but we hope that we can contribute to the next chapter of his life in a meaningful way.

Between December 1998 and January 1999, three armed robberies occurred at restaurants in Durham, North Carolina within a relatively close vicinity to one another. Each robbery occurred late at night during closing, and the suspect wore a ski mask and consistently forced the restaurant employees into the walk-in freezer. At trial, the State presented questionable eyewitness identification and the testimony of Abdul’s girlfriend, which ultimately contributed to his conviction.

The Center became involved in Abdul’s case in 2016, as part of its cooperative case review with the Durham County District Attorney’s Office. Years later, the Center learned that all of the evidence from the crime scenes had been destroyed in violation of statutory law. Additionally, the Center interviewed Abdul’s girlfriend who testified at trial and she recanted, saying law enforcement threatened and coerced her into making false statements.

Although Abdul continues to maintain his complete innocence, he agreed to accept the State’s offer vacating some of his convictions and reducing his sentence to time served for others. He has a loving, supportive family who have stood by him faithfully. Help them to help him rebuild his life as a free man.