Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez was exonerated in court on Monday after serving a 25-years-to-life sentence at Sing-Sing prison in New York for the murder of a retired police officer.
Velazquez had long maintained his innocence in the 1998 murder of retired NYPD Officer Albert Ward, who was killed at his illegal gambling business in Harlem during an apparent attempted robbery.
Velazquez, who has gone on to work as a criminal legal reform activist, did not match the description of the suspected killer and had an alibi backed up by phone records.
In 2021, after more than 23 years, 8 months and 7 days behind bars at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York, Velazquez was granted clemency by then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Velazquez appeared in court on Monday alongside friends and family, including members of the "Sing Sing" production -- a film he recently starred in that follows the Rehabilitation Through The Arts (RTA) acting program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility.
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His co-stars Clarence Maclin and Paul Raci, along with director Greg Kewdar and producer Brent Buell were there in support, according to Variety.
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"Now, in the halls of justice, JJ will be afforded what has been so long-overdue for him... exoneration for his wrongful conviction. It is yet another step in his powerful journey," a statement from the film's producers said Monday.
Following his exoneration, Velazquez sat down with NBC's Lester Holt for an interview that will air on "NBC Nightly News."
