New York City man has murder conviction vacated after 19 years in prison
NEW YORK -- A New York City man who served 19 years behind bars for a crime he didn't commit had his conviction vacated Thursday.
A hug and a handshake were shared in court between 50-year-old Emel McDowell and his attorney, who said it best: "It's been a long time coming for Mr. McDowell."
McDowell spent nearly two decades behind bars for a murder he didn't commit, turning his life upside down.
"My brother got married during that 19 years, I missed that ... There was family members who were alive when I went to prison, but they're no longer alive. Same thing with friends," McDowell said.
McDowell was 17 years old when arrested for the murder of Jonathan Powell, who was shot during a fight at a house party on Gates Avenue back in 1990.
The Brooklyn District Attorney says the investigation lasted less than 24 hours, despite conflicting witness accounts and McDowell telling investigators his friend shot the victim.
"It was a tough situation, but more importantly than the fact that it was my friend, I, as a young man, had believed that the criminal justice system had a way of sorting these things out on its own," McDowell said.
But he was convicted and sentenced to 22 years to life in prison.
A report by the Brooklyn District Attorney's Conviction Review Unit (CRU) outlines McDowell's efforts to try to set aside the verdict. It includes a letter he submitted in 2007, sent from the apparent shooter in 1991, which read in part: "I don't think I deserve to walk the face of the earth because one of my friends is locked up, for something that he didn't do."
In 2009, McDowell was granted a hearing but, right before it accepted an offer from prosecutors, pleaded guilty to manslaughter to get out of prison sooner.
His lawyer asked the CRU to re-investigate the case leading to his conviction being vacated.
"We're gonna make sure that lessons are learned in this case and that we continue to relay that across the country and that people know that we stand by this as a wrongful conviction," Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez said.
The DA's office says the investigation into the friend is expected to continue.
We're told the CRU currently has 50 open investigations. Since 2014, the CRU's work resulted in 35 convictions vacated.