he spent 19 years in prison and was denied parole four times because he refused to admit he was guilty. but he was released on monday when DNA evidence proved he didnt commit the crime. Original Article DNA evidence frees prisoner Served 19 years for a rape in Pa. Associated Press Aug. 2, 2005 12:00 AM PITTSBURGH - A man who spent 19 years behind bars for a rape he did not commit was released from prison Monday after new tests of DNA evidence cleared him. Friends and family broke into applause when a county judge dismissed charges against Thomas A. Doswell. About 30 minutes later, Doswell walked out of the county jail a free man, expressing thanks, not bitterness. "I'm thankful to be home," he told the Associated Press from his mother's house. "I'm thankful justice has been served. The court system is not perfect, but it works." Doswell, 46, was convicted in the 1986 rape of a 48-year-old woman at a hospital in Pittsburgh. At the time, he was the father of two young children. He was sentenced to 13 to 26 years in prison and was denied parole four times because he refused to accept responsibility for the crime. Prosecutors originally opposed DNA testing for Doswell, but a judge ordered it. When the tests came back last month showing that semen taken from the victim was not from Doswell, prosecutors filed motions to vacate his sentence and release him. Authorities plan to compare the DNA sample taken from the victim with national databanks but do not have any suspects.