“Sing Sing” star, who served more than 20 years in prison, has had his wrongful murder conviction overturned

JJ Velazquez was wrongly convicted of murdering a retired police officer in 1998

A New York judge has overturned the conviction of a man who spent more than 20 years in prison for a murder he did not commit before becoming a criminal justice reform activist.

Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez was wrongly convicted of the 1998 murder of Albert Ward, a retired New York City police officer. Prosecutors said newly found DNA evidence ultimately suggested another person was the killer. At a hearing on Monday, September 30, Judge Abraham Clott granted a request from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to vacate Velazquez’s conviction and dismiss the original indictment.

Velazquez served 23 years in prison before his sentence was commuted by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2021.

Velazquez, who was incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, received high-profile support from Martin Sheen and Alfre Woodard, among others, and ultimately received a presidential pardon from Joe Biden.

After his release from prison, Velazquez appeared in the film as himself Sing, sing, a story based on the real-life “Rehabilitation Through the Arts,” a theater program offered at the prison of the same name.

Attended the hearing on Monday Singing Singing Star Clarence Maclin, director Greg Kwedar and Brent Buell, a playwright and theater educator played by Paul Raci in the film. Velazquez held back tears during the hearing.

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Colman Domingo, Velazquez’s co-star in the A24 film, tells PEOPLE: “This brings me to tears. It is through his commitment to his own justice that justice has finally been served. It came late, but it came and JJ can live lovingly, joyfully and purposefully again.”

Domingo added: “JJ is such an extraordinary human being who is passionate and loving about helping others,” Domingo’s statement continued. “With our film Sing Sing, I hoped that we could humanize these incarcerated men and women and tell their stories and hopefully change people’s hearts so that we see them as human beings. There are still many JJs fighting for freedom from a wrongful conviction and serving a sentence.”

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On January 27, 1998, two armed suspects robbed a gaming establishment in Harlem. Ward, the retired detective, pulled out a gun and fought with one of the armed robbers. Authorities said the suspected robber, who identified himself as “Tee,” shot Ward.

After the Manhattan District Attorney’s Post-Conviction Justice Unit reopened an investigation into the murder in 2022, the coroner’s office determined that Velazquez’s DNA was not found on a betting slip processed by “Tee.”

“JJ Velazquez has lived in the shadow of his convictions for more than 25 years, and I hope today begins a new chapter for him,” Bragg said. “I am grateful to our Post-Conviction Justice Unit for their commitment to impartially uncovering the facts and evidence in this case.”

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