Falsely Accused Price George's Man Gets $6 Million
    Aug. 31, 2006
    WUSA 9 (DC)
    By Nancy Yamada

    A Prince George’s County jury has awarded nearly $6.5 million to a man who was falsely accused of raping and murdering his wife.

    Donna Zinetti’s body was found in the woods near her Laurel apartment in October of 1999. Keith Longtin spent more than 8 months behind bars after police said he confessed to the crime following 38 hours of interrogation in which he wasn’t allowed to sleep.

    DNA evidence later cleared him and led to the arrest of a District man who Longtin’s attorneys say raped and assaulted 6 other women after Longtin’s wife was murdered.

    Longtin told 9NEWS NOW that he’s most upset that he didn’t get to mourn his wife or bury her.

    "It’s not a question of blaming just one person," he said. "I blame the system for what they did and how they abused it and felt that they were above the law."

    His attorneys say the jury also found there was a pattern or practice of misconduct in the Prince George’s County police department. Attorney Cary Hansel of Joseph Greenwald and Laake, P.A. said they hope the sizeable verdict will send a message to the community and police officers that this kind of misconduct will not be tolerated.



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