Central Park Jogger "Happy, Healthy" 20 Years After Attack

Twenty years ago yesterday, a 28-year-old investment banker was jogging in Central Park when she was brutally beaten and raped. The Daily News recently wrote that the crime "crystallized the feeling that New York was out of control" and sparked racial tensions, as five black and Hispanic teens, accused of being a "wolf pack" of teens "wilding" in the park, were arrested, convicted and served time for the crime. And then, in 2002, a convicted killer admitted he was the real attacker; after his DNA matched DNA evidence from the crime, the Manhattan DA's moved to vacate the falsely imprisoned five's convictions.

The victim, Trisha Meili, who suffered brain injuries and lost 80% of her blood in the attack, revealed her identity in 2002 (in order to tell people about her recovery) and has been speaking publicly recently. In an interview with the Today Show this morning, Meili said she is "happy...healthy" and feels "stronger" than she ever was. When asked about her inability to remember the attack, she revealed mixed feelings: "On the one hand, sometimes I get frustrated and wish I did remember and it would clear up all the controversy about the case that really does bother me. On the other hand, as a result of having no memory, I also don't have flashbacks or nightmares." Here's her interview:

Meili, who is also thankful that her brain injuries left her with very subtle cognitive issues, says that the support she received from family and complete strangers helped her not resent the attack, "I experienced an extraordinary level of violence but I also experienced an extraordinary level of human kindness and love." Meili currently works for a non-profit and gives motivational speeches. She also continues to run.

As for the men wrongly accused and imprisoned for years, the Daily News spoke to them. One, who served 16 years, said, "Times done changed out here. But I am bitter with the system." The men are suing the city for being railroaded by the police.