Man Exonerated After Two Decades for Wrongful Conviction in $500 Robbery

Kenneth Windley, a resident of New York, has been released from prison after spending almost twenty years incarcerated for a robbery he did not commit.

At 61 years old, Windley was tied to the 2005 robbery after he purchased a stove for his mother using a money order that he was unaware had been stolen. He was found guilty of second-degree robbery and sentenced to an extensive prison term that could last 20 years to life.

Recently, a judge in Brooklyn overturned his conviction following a thorough review by prosecutors who examined Windley’s claims of innocence and determined he had no involvement in the crime.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez commented, “After many years, we can finally validate his story, secure his release from prison, and clear his name.”

Upon his release outside the courthouse, Windley expressed to reporters, “It cost me 20 years, but they said they corrected it now. So that’s all that matters.”

Windley's conviction stemmed from a robbery that occurred on April 1, 2005, in the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn. Two assailants followed a 70-year-old man into his apartment building and robbed him in an elevator, making off with $485 in cash and two blank, unsigned money orders valued at $542 and $9, as revealed by the prosecutors' office in a report released on Monday.

Windley was linked to the incident after using one of the larger money orders to make the purchase for his mother. The victim later identified Windley as one of the men who rifled through his pockets, leading to Windley’s arrest.

During his trial in 2007, Windley adamantly denied taking part in the robbery, stating he had acquired the money order from two men near an appliance store for up to $400. He claimed he knew they were “hustlers” selling goods on the street and thought he was assisting them by making the purchase.

Windley testified that he had never previously used a money order and did not inquire about whether it had been stolen.

In March 2007, Windley was convicted of second-degree robbery. Due to his previous felony convictions, he faced a harsh sentence of 20 years to life, according to prosecutors.

Eventually, Windley located the two men, who were serving time for a string of robberies that started in 2005 targeting elderly victims returning from banks. They confirmed to the prosecutors that Windley was not involved in the Crown Heights robbery.

Their statements were corroborated by recorded phone calls and emails from prison, as stated by the authorities.