JJ Velazquez Exonerated After 27 Years for Wrongful Conviction in NYPD Officer's Murder

New DNA evidence clears Velazquez, who spent over two decades in prison before his conviction was overturned by a Manhattan judge.

Jon-Adrian 'JJ' Velazquez, 48, was exonerated for the 1998 murder of retired NYPD officer Albert Ward, thanks to new DNA testing.
Velazquez's conviction was vacated after DNA on a betting slip did not match his, undermining the prosecution's case.
Velazquez had his sentence commuted in 2021 and has since advocated for criminal justice reform, even meeting with President Biden.
The case was reopened in 2022 by the Manhattan DA's Post-Conviction Justice Unit, which has vacated 10 wrongful convictions since its inception.
Velazquez's exoneration has drawn attention to systemic issues in the justice system, including the ease of imprisoning the poor and the challenges of freeing the innocent.