Polygraph-Induced False Confession of John Kogut

[George W. Maschke]

An ABC News Primetime story that will air on Thursday, 30 March 2006 at 10 PM Eastern recounts how a likely polygraph-induced false confession led to the wrongful conviction and nearly 18-year incarceration of John Kogut, Dennis Halstead, and John Restivo for the 1984 rape and murder of Theresa Fusco in Lynbrook, Long Island, New York. All three were later exonerated by DNA evidence.

A text version of the story is available on the ABC News website under the title, "Men Spend 17 Years in Jail Based on Apparent False Confession." This miscarriage of justice is a strong argument for the mandatory tape recording of all custodial interrogations.