Lindsey Hogan Professor Patti Meyer Anthropology 12224 April 2014 Cotton Harvest In a compelling story of forgiveness and moving forward, Jennifer Thompson and Ronald Cotton shared their journey with the Ferris community . Thompson took audiences into a setting set on July 29, 1984, chronicling the night of her rape and the measures she took to memorize the face of evil. Thompson, with utmost certainty, declared Cotton her rapist after hours of police questioning, sketch training and a lineup. Cotton was sentenced to life in prison, but was in Ferris to share his side of the story and how the DNA test changed his life (Picking Cotton). The events of 1984 were told by two separate accounts, with distinct parallels discussing the importance of DNA, misidentification, and police coercion. Thompson's rape not only affected her, but also Cotton. After 11 years in prison, Cotton heard about the DNA test. As a last attempt to end his prison sentence, he applied for and was accepted for DNA testing. Tests proved that Cotton was not the rapist, and indeed Bobby Poole was (Picking Cotton). In total, as of September 2011, DNA testing has helped 273 people prove innocence. Additionally, all 34 states with the death penalty give inmates the right to access DNA testing. The test succeeded not only in proving innocence, but also guilt. “Eyewitness misidentification is the leading cause of wrongful convictions nationwide,” which is true for Thompson in this case (DNA testing and…). On the night of the incident, Thompson did his best to get as many positive looks on his perpetrator. as he could. With every bit of illumination offered, he analyzed the man's facial features, height, weight and race. After speaking......half of the paper......Cotton). Double-blind administration occurs when the administrator is “blind” to who the actual suspect is, preventing him or her from influencing the results (eyewitness identification). DNA is now an important factor when trying to prove one's innocence or guilt, as demonstrated in the Thompson and Cotton case. Thompson and Cotton continue to share the story of how one night changed their lives forever. REFERENCES Hompson, Jennifer. Cotton, Ronald. “Picking the cotton”. Ferris State University. Williams Auditorium, Big Rapids, MI. April 15, 2014. Guest lecture. “DNA testing and the death penalty.” ACLU: American Civil Liberties Union. October 3, 2011. Web. April 22, 2014. “Eyewitness Identification: A Policy Review.” The Justice Project, Iowa State University. Network. April 22, 2014.Eller, Jack. Cultural anthropology: global forces, local lives. Routeledge. 2013. Print.