The prosecution presented only circumstantial evidence in court. There were no witnesses who saw what happened when Ana Mendieta died, and there was no concrete evidence that conclusively pointed out that Andre murdered his wife. The judge who presided over the case, Justice Alvin Schlesinger, delivered a not-guilty verdict in February 1988. As reported by the New York Times, Schlesinger stated, “The defendant’s guilt was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt.” Andre showed no emotion when the verdict was read, and when asked for a statement outside the court, his only words were, “Justice was served.”
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The art world was divided about Andre’s acquittal. While some believed that he was innocent, others were not so sure. Andre continued his career as an artist, and at times, Mendieta’s supporters showed up to protest during his exhibits. In 2017 — decades after Mendieta’s death — a Carl Andre exhibition was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art, and a group of artists showed up carrying cards that read, “Where is Ana Mendieta?” “We wanted Ana to have a presence and a voice,” one person said, per the Los Angeles Times.
