JJ Velazquez: Actor Proven Innocent After Spending 24 Years in Maximum Security Prison

JJ Velazquez has been exonerated after spending nearly 24 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. In 1998, the actor was wrongfully convicted of murdering a retired policeman during an armed robbery at an illegal gambling den in Harlem.

Initially sentenced to life imprisonment, Velazquez’s wrongful conviction was vacated by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Monday, September 30. Bragg announced the decision following the emergence of “newly discovered DNA evidence”that pointed to Velazquez’s innocence. He stated, as reported by LA Times,:

“JJ Velazquez has lived in the shadow of his conviction for more than 25 years, and I hope that today brings with it a new chapter for him.”

JJ Velazquez appeared in A24‘s 2023 American drama film Sing Sing, which features a screenplay by Greg Kwendar and Clint Bentley. The film follows Divine G (played by Colman Domingo), who is incarcerated at Sing Sing prison for a crime he did not commit.

JJ Velazquez Calls Himself a “Lucky Man”After Exoneration

After the Manhattan judge vacated his wrongful conviction on Monday, JJ Velazquez spoke with reporters outside of the court, wearing a baseball cap emblazoned with the phrase, “End of an Error.”

As he and his mother raised their hands in triumph, Velazquez addressed his supporters and the media, stating:

“Who am I? I’m a very lucky man. I’m lucky that so many people believed in me. There are so many people in my life who became the life support for me to be able to breathe when I couldn’t breathe myself because my circumstances were too thick.”

Despite his newfound freedom, Velazquez questioned whether it was granted due to the high-profile nature of his case. He criticized the justice system, remarking:

“We should not have a system where it’s so much easier to imprison the poor than it is to free the innocent.”

Convicted in 1999, the case against Velazquez heavily relied on the testimony of four witnesses. He and his mother consistently maintained his innocence, asserting that he was at home in the Bronx, talking to her at the time of the murder.

In 2022, Bragg’s office reopened the case after DNA evidence from a betting slip linked to the murder suspect was discovered. When Velazquez’s DNA was compared with the DNA on the betting slip, it returned a negative match.

During the recent hearing, prosecutors confirmed that there was no physical evidence tying JJ Velazquez to the crime and that DNA testing results unequivocally exonerated him. Additionally, they noted discrepancies in the statements made by the alleged eyewitnesses.

During his more than two decades behind bars, JJ Velazquez earned a bachelor’s degree and actively participated in initiatives aimed at gun violence prevention, mentorship programs for youth, and assisting fellow inmates in appealing their convictions.

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