September 23, 1990: At Encinitas, California, Toni DiGiovanni is attacked by Kelvin Wiley. At least, that is what she claimed.
This is not an allegation of rape, but could have been far worse for the victim. It is included here primarily because this was how Colin Flaherty made his name.
Wiley was a black dude who made the fatal mistake of crossing the color line to get involved with a woman who although only 29 had been married and divorced three times.
On the day in question, DiGiovanni’s son found her apparently unconscious with a belt around her neck. The circumstances of this faked assault are strikingly similar to the Jack Rebolledo case 28 years later, although unlike Jack, Wiley didn’t have a cast iron alibi.
DiGiovanni claimed she’d been beaten by Wiley, and he was duly convicted, receiving a four year sentence. He had been tried for attempted murder but the jury was unable to agree on this, convicting him only of a lesser offence.
Enter Colin Flaherty, who at that time was a journalist working for the San Diego Reader. Here is a story he has told many times before, this time in his podcast of May 27, 2020.
Kelvin Wiley was exonerated in 1992. No action was taken against Toni DiGiovanni.
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