“Sing Sing” actor JJ Velazquez is convicted of murder after 23 years in prison

Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, who recently appeared in the film Sing, sing, His conviction was overturned on Monday after decades of being wrongfully imprisoned for murder.

Velazquez, now 48, was convicted in 1999 of shooting and killing retired police officer Albert Ward during a robbery at a Harlem gaming parlor. He served more than 23 years at Sing Sing Correctional Facility but was released in 2021 after his sentence was commuted by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

After his release from prison, Velazquez continued to fight for his own release and criminal justice reform. He met with President Biden in 2022, who apologized for his wrongful conviction. In A24 film Sing, sing, Starring Colman Domingo, Velazquez plays a version of himself as a participant in the prison’s theater program.

“We had the great honor and privilege of working with Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez on set Singing Singing and on the road to make our film known to the world. We have seen firsthand the quality of his character, the depth of his soul, and the reach of his kindness. Surely everyone who sees our film feels it too. Now in the halls of justice, JJ will be granted what he was so long overdue: exoneration for his wrongful conviction. It is another step on his powerful journey. He will undoubtedly use a moment to benefit others and stand up for those still behind the walls. Because that’s exactly what he is.” Singing Singing producers Greg Kwedar, Monique Waton and Clint Bentley said in a statement.

Although Velazquez was charged and convicted of murder, he did not match the suspect’s description and had phone records that corroborated his alibi. He worked with Dateline NBC has been involved in an investigation into his case for over 10 years, which led to it being broadcast in 2012.

The DA’s office rejected two requests by Velazquez to overturn his conviction in 2014 and 2018. In 2022, the office’s Post-Conviction Justice Unit opened a new investigation which found that Velazquez’s DNA was not present on a betting slip held by one of the armed robbers before he shot Ward. The office says such a DNA comparison was not available at the time of the trial.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg joined Velazquez’s motion to overturn the conviction and asked that the charges be dismissed based on newly discovered DNA evidence. The request was granted Monday by Judge Abraham Clott.

“JJ Velazquez has lived in the shadow of his conviction for more than 25 years, and I hope today begins a new chapter for him,” said District Attorney Bragg. “I am grateful to our Post-Conviction Justice Unit for their commitment to impartially uncovering the facts and evidence in this case. Since the unit’s inception in 2022, we have overturned 10 convictions through re-investigations and 500 more involving law enforcement officers convicted of misconduct. These convictions have profound consequences for individuals and their families, threaten public safety, and undermine trust in the criminal justice system, which is why this work is of utmost importance to me. We will continue to examine these types of cases with the necessary thoroughness and fairness.”

The best of The Hollywood Reporter

Recent Posts