New York — A Manhattan judge overturned the murder conviction of a man who spent 25 years in prison after a review of his case revealed new evidence that prosecutors may have withheld, including a thousands-of-dollar payment to the mother of a key eyewitness.
The man, Harry Ruiz, has maintained his innocence since his 1994 conviction for the shooting death of Emanuel Felix, an alleged drug dealer in Harlem. Ruiz, now 58, was released on parole in 2019.
“I feel like I can finally breathe again,” he said Monday, as he left the courtroom surrounded by his family and his attorney.
At the hearing, Judge Robert Mandelbaum took the unusual step of reprimanding the former assistant district attorney in charge of Ruiz’s prosecution over her “troubling” refusal to participate in the reinvestigation. “For this court, that means a lot,” he said.
In a phone call, attorney Helen Sturm called the judge’s comments “inappropriate,” adding that she was not required to “review a 30-year-old case.”
The case first gained renewed attention after New York City detective Carlos Vasquez found his file while investigating another murder and quickly became convinced of Ruiz’s innocence.
When the Manhattan District Attorney’s Post-Conviction Review Unit opened an investigation two years ago, it found that prosecutors had provided $17,000 in payments and housing to the mother of a 13-year-old girl, the only witness who identified Ruiz as the shooter.
The review found no evidence that these payments were disclosed to the defense, as required by law. When investigators reached out to Storm, the trial attorney, to discuss the matter, she declined an interview.
“What do you want me to say? That I feel bad because he was convicted?” she said over the phone. “You can’t get a long sentence like that without evidence.”
She added that she does not remember the exact details of the case, but she feels confident that the prosecution followed relevant disclosure laws.
According to the post-conviction review, the teen’s testimony changed dramatically throughout the trial. At one point, when asked to identify Ruiz, she chose to sit in the courtroom.
Despite three members of his family confirming his alibi, Ruiz was found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder. When he was 25, Judge Harold Rothwax – nicknamed the Prince of Darkness – sentenced him to 25 years to life in prison. Known harsh sentences.
As part of the review, investigators also learned that a federal informant admitted in 2002 to paying someone to kill Felix, and that Ruiz was not involved. Another person came forward the same year to confirm that account, according to the review.
Prosecutors under then-Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau were aware of the statements, but declined to reopen the case or disclose the developments to Ruiz’s appeals team, according to court filings.
Dozens of interviews and an in-depth review of documents produced new evidence that “significantly undermines the case at trial,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
Ruiz’s attorney, Ron Coby, said the case differs from many other wrongful convictions that result from simple or inadvertent errors.
“This was not the result of a blunder,” he said. “This conviction was obtained through repeated and willful misconduct by the former District Attorney’s Office in suppressing evidence.”
As he wiped away tears, Ruiz said he hoped the finding would inspire additional reviews of other cases.
“There are many people like me who deserve justice,” he said. “I hope this never happens to anyone again.”