MAN FREED AFTER NEARLY 20 YEARS IN PRISON OVER $550 ROBBERY HE DID NOT COMMIT

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Agency Report

A 61-year-old man, Kenneth Windley, has been exonerated and released after spending nearly two decades in prison 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 incarcerated since 2007.

“It cost me 20 years, but they said they corrected it now. So that’s all that matters. So I’m good with that,” Windley said as he left the courthouse, marking his first moments of freedom in nearly two decades.

According to prosecutors, newly uncovered evidence, including confessions from two men convicted of similar crimes, corroborated Windley’s long-standing claim that he was not involved in the robbery.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez described the case as a warning about the dangers of incomplete investigations.

“This case is really a cautionary tale of how things can seem one way but, without careful analysis, not be what it purports to be,” Gonzalez said, adding that he had privately apologised to Windley.

Windley was originally arrested in 2005 after he used a stolen money order to purchase a stove for his mother. The money order had been taken during a robbery of a 70-year-old man, Gerald Ross, who was attacked by two assailants after returning home from a bank and post office.

The attackers reportedly placed Ross in a chokehold and stole $485 in cash, along with two unsigned money orders valued at $542 and $9.

Investigators traced one of the stolen money orders to Windley, who had used it in a transaction where he provided his personal identification. Despite maintaining his innocence, Windley was linked to the crime largely through this paper trail.

At trial, Windley testified that he had unknowingly purchased the money order at a discount from acquaintances who claimed it was legitimate. His lawyer later described him as having been “duped.”

Ross identified Windley as one of the attackers in both a photo array and a live lineup conducted more than six weeks after the incident, an identification that contributed significantly to his conviction.

In 2007, a jury found Windley guilty of robbery. Due to prior felony convictions, he was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. His subsequent appeals were unsuccessful.

Over time, however, new information emerged. Windley had initially provided authorities with details about the individuals who sold him the money order. With the help of a friend and private investigators, those individuals were later identified and persuaded to come forward.

In sworn statements, the two men admitted to carrying out the robbery and confirmed that Windley had no involvement. Both are currently serving prison sentences for similar robberies targeting elderly victims in Brooklyn between 2005 and 2006.

Prosecutors concluded that if this information had been presented during the original trial, it would likely have created reasonable doubt among jurors.

No new charges have been filed, as the statute of limitations has expired. The victim, Gerald Ross, has since passed away.

Despite the years lost, Windley expressed no bitterness as he reunited with his family.

“I’m just going to move on from there,” he said.