In 2004, police arrested 57-year-old David Sanders in Louisville, Kentucky on a charge of sexually abusing a child nearly 20 years earlier when he was a Franciscan brother at St. Vincent's Catholic Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
His accuser, who was 30 years old, made the accusation after he was convicted of sexually abusing a child. He said that Sanders was the person he knew as "Brother David," who had given him first communion. The accuser said that he had been sexually abused by family members as well as Brother David.
Sanders had been teaching in the area at the time of the crime, but not at St. Vincent's. When he was brought to Milwaukee, the victim identified Sanders as his abuser.
Sanders went to trial in Milwaukee County Circuit Court in December 2006. The victim testified that Sanders had been a trusted family friend whom he had visited in Delaware at one point. The defense presented evidence that Sanders had never been at St. Vincent's and had never lived in Delaware. The victim's grandmother testified for the defense that Sanders was not at St. Vincent's.
On December 6, 2006, the jury convicted Sanders of sexually assaulting the victim. In January 2007, Sanders was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Shortly after the sentencing, the victim's grandmother found an old letter which had the name of Brother David Nickerson, who had been at St.Vincent's at the time in question. Located in California, Nickerson confessed to abusing the victim.
In June 2007, the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office joined the Wisconsin Innocence Project in asking the court to dismiss the case, and Sanders was released.
Sanders received $23,000 from the state of Wisconsin for his wrongful imprisonment.
- Stephanie Denzel
Posting Date: 08-29-2011
