A 61-year-old man, Kenneth Windley, has been released from prison after spending nearly two decades behind bars for a robbery he did not commit.
Windley regained his freedom on Monday after prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York, acknowledged new evidence proving his innocence. He had been convicted in 2007 for a robbery involving a stolen money order worth about $550.
Speaking after his release, Windley expressed a sense of closure despite the years lost. “It cost me almost 20 years, but they’ve corrected it now. That’s what matters,” he said.
The case was revisited after fresh evidence emerged, including confessions from two men who admitted carrying out the robbery. The men, already serving prison sentences for similar crimes, told investigators that Windley had no involvement in the incident.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez described the case as a warning about the dangers of wrongful convictions.
“This case shows how appearances can be misleading when not thoroughly examined,” he said. “If we had known then what we know now, this case would never have happened.”
Windley was initially arrested in 2005 after he used a stolen money order to purchase a stove for his mother.
He maintained throughout the trial that he had unknowingly bought the money order from acquaintances who assured him it was legitimate.
“I didn’t know it was stolen,” Windley had testified during his trial, insisting he had no role in the robbery.
The robbery victim, a 70-year-old man, had been attacked and robbed in his apartment building by two assailants who stole cash and blank money orders. Weeks later, the victim identified Windley through a photo lineup and later in person—evidence that contributed significantly to his conviction.
Despite maintaining his innocence and providing details about the men who sold him the money order, Windley was sentenced to 20 years to life due to prior convictions. His appeals were unsuccessful.
Over time, further investigation by his legal team and associates helped identify the actual perpetrators, who later confessed.
Prosecutors said their admissions were credible and would likely have changed the outcome of the trial if presented earlier.
Windley’s lawyer, David Shanies, said his client had been deceived. “He was simply misled into using something he believed was valid,” he said.
Although the true offenders have not been charged in this case due to the expiration of the legal timeframe, authorities acknowledged that the conviction was a miscarriage of justice.
The original victim has since passed away.
Despite the ordeal, Windley said he is not holding onto anger. “I’m just ready to move forward and live my life,” he said as he left the courthouse to reunite with his family.
