New evidence casts doubt on Black man's attempted rape conviction

Residents in a rural part of Louisiana have wondered for years: Did Vincent Simmons, a Black man, get a fair trial in 1977? 

Simmons was accused of attempted aggravated rape of 14-year-old twin sisters Sharon and Karen Sanders, who are White. Less than two months after he was arrested, Simmons, who was 25 at the time, was sentenced to 100 years in prison after being convicted by a jury of 11 White men and one Black woman. 

The latest attorney to take up Simmons' case, Justin Bonus, has filed a motion for his release, citing evidence that was never presented at trial and what he calls "explosive" new claims from one of the witnesses.