Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, a legendary boxer who spent 19 years in prison on a wrongful murder conviction, died this morning at home in Toronto. He was 76 years old. According to friend John Artis, Carter passed away from prostate cancer, a disease for which he was being treated for an unknown period of time. In 1966, Carter was convicted charges of fatally shooting two men and a woman in a Paterson, New Jersey restaurants. It took nearly two decades, but both jury verdicts were eventually overturned on different grounds of prosecutorial misconduct. Prior to his legal battles and imprisonment, Carter was known as a fearsome fighter. He narrowly lost a fight for the middleweight championship in 1964. Carter rose to national acclaim during his lengthy battle to clear his name, with Amnesty International describing him as a “prisoner of conscience” at one point. Bob Dylan also penned a hit track title “Hurricane” that championed his innocence and vilified the cops and became a Top 40 hit in 1976. In 1999, Denzel Washington portrayed Carter on the big screen in a movie also titled Hurricane . After his release, Carter moved to Toronto, where he served as the executive director of the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted from 1993 to 2005. He received two honorary doctorates for his work. Celebrities We Lost in 2014 Open Slideshow 1. Philip Seymour Hoffman R.I.P. Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967-2014). He will forever be missed! View As List 1. Philip Seymour Hoffman R.I.P. Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967-2014). He will forever be missed! 2. James Avery James Avery has passed away. The beloved star of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was 65. 3. Pete Seeger Pete Seeger has passed away. The late singer and activist was 94. 4. Shirley Temple Shirley Temple was a childhood star in the 1930s. She passed away at the age of 85. 5. Phil Everly A photo of the late Phil Everly. He passed away in early 2014. 6. Anna Gordy Gaye Anna Gordy Gaye passed away in early 2014. She was the sister of Berry Gordy and the wife of Marvin Gaye. 7. Eric Lawson Eric Lawson stars here as The Marloboro Man. He died from lung cancer at the age of 72. 8. Roy Garber Roy Garber passed away in January 2014. He was a star on Shipping Wars. 9. Cassandra Lynn Hensley Rest in peace, Cassandra Lynn Hensley. The Playboy Playmate was found dead in January 2014. 10. Darryl Robinson Darryl Robinson of Cooking Channel fame has died. He was just 50. 11. Sid Caesar Sid Caesar has died. He was 91 years old and will be missed. 12. Ralph Waite Ralph Waite is seen here on NCIS. The actor died at the age of 86. 13. John Henson Picture Rest in peace, John Henson. This member of The Muppets family died in early 2014. 14. Jamie Coots Jamie Coots has died from a snake bite. The reality star appeared on the series Snake Salvation. 15. Michele Savoia Michele Savoia, a famed Broadway costume designer, has passed away at the age of 55. 16. Bob Casale Bob Casale, second from right, was the guitarist for the ’80s band Devo, best known for the hit song “Whip It.” R.I.P. 17. Harold Ramis Harold Ramis passed away at the age of 69. We’ll always adore the actor for his role in Ghostbusters. 18. Jim Lange Jim Lange has passed away. The Dating Game host was 81. 19. Tim Wilson Comedian Tim Wilson, who incorporated NASCAR into his routines, has died. R.I.P. 20. Speaker Knockerz Speaker Knockerz has passed away. The young emerging rapper was only 19. 21. Sheila MacRae Sheila MacRae, best known as Alice from The Honeymooners, died in March 2014 at the age of 92. 22. Cynthia Lynn Cynthia Lynn has died. The Hogan’s Heroes star was 76. 23. Bob Thomas Veteran journalist Bob Thomas has passed away at the age of 92. R.I.P. 24. Wesley Warren Wesley Warren, The Man with the 132-Pound Scrotum, died in March 2014 of a non-scrotum related injury. 25. David Brenner David Brenner has died. The fixture on The Tonight Show was 78. 26. L’Wren Scott L’Wren Scott, a fashion designer and the girlfriend of Mick Jagger, is dead. She was 49. 27. Scott Asheton Scott Asheton of The Stooges has died. The drummer was 64. 28. James Rebhorn James Rebhorn enjoyed a long, impressive acting career. He died at the age of 65. 29. Kate O’Mara Kate O’Mara of Dynasty fame has died at the age of 74. R.I.P. 30. Frankie Knuckles Frankie Knuckles, acclaimed DJ and house music mastermind, died March 31 at age 59. 31. Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney passed away at the age of 93. He lost a battle with an undisclosed illness. 32. Peaches Geldof Peaches Geldof was only 25. 33. The Ultimate Warrior Days after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, The Ultimate Warrior died at the age of 54. 34. Gabriel Garcia Marquez Beloved author Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez passed away in April 2014 at the age of 87.
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Hurricane Carter Dies; Boxer Wrongly Committed of Murder Was 76
