<P> He had been convicted in 1985 of the 1984 rape and first - degree murder of a nine - year - old girl in Rosedale, Maryland . By the time an appeal based on the DNA evidence was underway, his sentence had been commuted to two consecutive life sentences . He gained release from prison in 1993 and a full exoneration in 2004 . </P> <P> Bloodsworth served in the Marines, and was honorably discharged at the end of his term . He lived in coastal Maryland, where he worked as a waterman, harvesting shellfish and fish . In 1985 he was convicted of sexual assault, rape, and first - degree premeditated murder in the 1984 case of Dawn Hamilton, a nine - year - old girl in Rosedale, Maryland . Five eyewitnesses stated that he had been with the victim, but he continued to maintain his innocence throughout his trial and subsequent incarceration . </P> <P> In 1992, while in jail, Bloodsworth read an account of how DNA testing had led to the conviction, in England, of Colin Pitchfork in the killings of Dawn Ashworth and Lynda Mann . This resulted in the use of DNA to gain the exoneration of an earlier suspect in the case, who had falsely confessed to Ashworth's murder . Hoping to prove his innocence, Bloodsworth pushed to have the biological evidence against him tested by this new forensic technique . </P> <P> Initially, the available evidence in the case--traces of semen in the victim's underwear--was thought to have been destroyed; however, it was eventually located in a paper bag in the judge's chambers . Testing proved that the semen did not match Bloodsworth's DNA profile . In 1993 Bloodsworth was released after more than nine years in prison . </P>

Who was the first person to be exonerated using dna evidence