CBS 48 Hours next episode: Who is Justin Bonus and how did he free Vincent Simmons?

When an innocent Black man from Louisiana spent nearly 44 years in prison due to wrongful imprisonment on charges of raping two twin sisters, a New York attorney named Justin Bonus made it his life's mission to prove the man innocent and set him free.

This inspiring story of hope at the end of every dark road is the subject of CBS' 48 Hours upcoming episode, Please Don't Tell. The true-crime episode will premiere on both Paramount+ and the CBS channel on May 21, 2022, at 10 pm ET.

Here is the official synopsis of the episode:

"Twin sisters say they were attacked by a Black man. Are they telling the truth or hiding a family secret? 48 Hours contributor David Begnaud reports."

TW: This article contains instances of sexual assault.

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CBS' 48 Hours: All about Justin Bonus and how he helped in setting Vincent Simmons free

In 1977, a jury of eleven White men and one Black woman found Vincent Simmons guilty of the attempted rape of Karen and Sharon Sanders, twin sisters from Marksville, Louisiana.

The twin sisters, who were both White, were 14 years old at the time, with their older cousin Keith Laborde locked in the trunk of the car where the incident took place. Simmons was convicted at the age of 25 and has maintained his innocence for over 44 years.

In 2020, Simmons was represented by New York attorney Justin Bonus, who partnered with Louisiana attorney Ed Larvadain Jr. Bonus said he made it his duty to liberate Simmons, and they filed a motion for a new trial on October 16, 2020.

Bonus even proclaimed to have evidence that would have helped his client at trial in 1977 but was never provided, according to CBS News. He said:

"There is no physical evidence that connects him to that crime. There’s no blood. There’s no semen, there’s no hairs. Sharon talks about bleeding all over the car. Karen talks about a violent rape. Where’s the evidence in the car? Where’s the blood in the car? There’s nothing that supports a crime happened, and there’s definitely not anything that supports a Black man committed the crime.”

The alleged crime was reported two weeks after it allegedly occurred by the then-young girls. Their version of events was that a Black guy drove them up a country road in their cousin Keith Laborde's automobile and sexually attacked them for three hours, but none of them gave the sheriff a name. The only thing they knew was that the attacker who raped them was Black.

Another piece of evidence brought to light was the prosecution's failure to provide a medical assessment during Simmons' trial. Furthermore, Simmons claimed that the lineup shot shown to the teen girls portrayed him in handcuffs. Simmons called it a joke and that, "it doesn't get any more suggestive than this."

Thus, in light of the fresh evidence presented, Vincent Simmons was ultimately absolved from all the charges that kept him behind bars for 44 years.

He wholeheartedly thanked the New York attorney team, which consisted of Justin Bonus, for his long-sought-after freedom. Vincent asked for a moment of quiet as he walked out of the Louisiana courthouse on February 14, 2022, saying:

“I want to go somewhere where it was quiet, where I can think and enjoy the moment of freedom. I feel good.”

Don't forget to catch Please Don't Tell this Saturday at 10 pm ET on the CBS channel and on Paramount+.