After spending nearly 24 years in prison, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez has been officially exonerated of a murder he was wrongfully convicted of. The Manhattan judge vacated the conviction on Monday, stating that Velazquez did not commit the crime. Outside the courtroom, Velazquez and his mother celebrated their victory by raising their hands in triumph. He expressed gratitude for the support he received throughout the years and considered himself fortunate to have so many people believe in his innocence.
However, Velazquez also questioned whether his release was solely due to the attention surrounding his case, which has been featured in various forms of media such as documentaries, podcasts, movies, and books. He emphasized that there needs to be a better system where it is easier to free innocent individuals rather than imprisoning those who are poor.
The decision to vacate Velazquez’s conviction came after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office supported his request based on newly discovered DNA evidence. Prosecutors argued that this evidence cleared Velazquez’s name.
Velazquez had previously appeared as himself in a film called “Sing Sing,” which depicted life inside the maximum-security prison where he served his sentence before being granted early release by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2021.
According to prosecutors, Ward was killed during a robbery at an underground gambling parlor in Harlem back in 1998. Four eyewitnesses played a significant role in Velazquez’s conviction at that time. However, two of these witnesses later recanted their statements identifying him as the perpetrator.
Bragg’s office reopened the case last year and conducted DNA testing comparing Velazquez’s DNA with evidence from the crime scene. The results showed no match between Velazquez’s DNA and a betting slip handled by the suspect involved in Ward’s murder.
Prosecutors concluded that these new findings could have influenced the jury’s decision during Velasquez’s trial since there was no physical evidence connecting him to the crime scene and inconsistencies among eyewitness testimonies were present.
Efforts to overturn Velasques’ conviction were supported by actor Martin Sheen who held a press conference highlighting his case back in 2011. NBC’s “Dateline” also examined it further during an episode aired on 2012.
During his time behind bars, Velasques earned a bachelor’s degree and worked as a teaching fellow for a Columbia University professor while also initiating programs focused on gun violence prevention and youth mentorship with fellow inmates. He continues this work even after being released from prison.
