Manhattan Judge Vacates Murder Conviction

0:00A Manhattan judge shes vacated the murder conviction of Harry Ruiz, who did 25 years behind bars for a 1994 shooting in, Harlem. Ruiz, now 58, was nailed for killing an alleged drug dealer, based mostly on one shaky eyewitness account. He got paroled in 2019, but this ruling wipes the slate clean after prosecutors hid key evidence like $17,000 in. Payments and housing to the witness's mom. That witness was just a 13-year-old girl whose story flipped during trial. She even picked the wrong guy in court. A detective stumbled on the old file while chasing another case and pushed for a fresh look. Two years back, the DA's review team dug in and found those benefits were never shared with the defense as the law demands. Ruiz's lawyer called his straight-up calculated misconduct, not some slip-up. The judge ripped the former prosecutor for dodging the reinvestigation, saying it spoke volumes. She fired back, claiming she wasn't obligated to revisit a 30-year-old case and stood by the original evidence.

1:01Investigators also uncovered a federal informant who admitted in 2002 to paying the real hit on the victim, Ruiz wasn't involved, and another source backed it up. Prosecutors back then knew, but sat on it, never telling Ruiz's appeal team. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg says dozens of interviews proved the trial case was seriously undermined. Ruiz, tearing up outside court, hopes this sparks reviews for others locked up wrong, fighting for that real justice we all deserve. That's your update from Durham News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with The Story.