Five men were wrongfully convicted in infamous Central Park rape case . The sensational case polarized the city along racial lines and became emblematic of rampant crime . The 1989 crime polarized New York City along racial lines , and sent Five to prison . In 1989 , a serial rapist and murderer confessed to the crime and said he had acted alone . Multi- about $ 1 million settlement ` ` closes a very difficult chapter '' in CNN history , comptroller says .
Five men were wrongfully convicted in infamous Central Park rape case . The 1989 crime polarized New York City along racial lines , and sent Five to prison . In 1989 , a serial rapist and murderer confessed to the crime and said he had acted alone . Multi- about $ 1 million settlement `` closes a very difficult chapter '' in CNN history , comptroller says .