Two men who had served decades in prison for separate murders in New York City were declared innocent on Monday as reinvestigations revealed that their convictions were based on unreliable witness testimony. Jabar Walker, 49, was released after being cleared of a 1995 double murder for which he had been serving a 25-year to life sentence. Wayne Gardine, also 49 and convicted of a 1994 murder, was exonerated after being paroled last year. However, Gardine is currently facing possible deportation to Jamaica due to accusations of entering the United States illegally as a teenager.
Both crimes occurred just eight blocks apart in Harlem, and the convictions were overturned following the collaboration between defense lawyers and the Manhattan district attorney’s office’s conviction review unit. Walker, who was represented by the Innocence Project, was arrested at the age of 20 for the shooting deaths of Ismael De La Cruz and William Santana Guzman. The reinvestigation of Walker’s case revealed that the police had coerced a witness into incriminating Walker by suggesting that he would be charged with the shootings if he did not cooperate. The witness later recanted his testimony. Additionally, another witness who claimed to have witnessed the shootings had received undisclosed monetary benefits from the district attorney’s office, according to the Innocence Project.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, stating, “Mr. Walker received a sentence that could have kept him in prison for his entire life. I am thrilled that he can now finally return home and thank the Innocence Project for its steadfast advocacy throughout this matter.” Walker, handcuffed, appeared in a Manhattan courtroom on Monday and left as a free man. As per reports from The New York Times, Walker silently mouthed, “I made it,” when Justice Miriam R. Best vacated his conviction.
Gardine, who was also 20 years old at the time of his arrest, was convicted of the fatal shooting of Robert Mickens, who sustained nearly a dozen gunshot wounds. Gardine’s conviction was overturned following reinvestigations conducted by the district attorney’s office and the Legal Aid Society, which revealed that the sole eyewitness who testified during the trial had falsely accused Gardine to please his own drug boss, who happened to be friends with the victim.
District Attorney Bragg acknowledged the injustice of wrongful convictions and expressed hope for Gardine’s future, saying, “Unjust convictions are the height of injustice, and while we can never completely undo the pain he has experienced, I hope this is the first step in allowing Mr. Gardine to rebuild his life and reunite with his loved ones.” Despite being paroled last year after spending a total of 29 years behind bars, Gardine is currently in immigration detention in upstate New York, facing potential deportation. His attorney from the Legal Aid Society, Lou Fox, insisted that Gardine should be released, denying the allegations of illegal entry into the country and emphasizing that his client’s name has finally been cleared after haunting him for nearly three decades.
The cases of Jabar Walker and Wayne Gardine highlight the importance of accurate and reliable witness testimony in ensuring fair trials and preventing wrongful convictions. The collaboration between defense lawyers, the district attorney’s office, and organizations like the Innocence Project and the Legal Aid Society play a crucial role in uncovering the truth and rectifying past injustices.
