George Bell

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Charge:	First Degree Murder
Sentence:	25 years
Years Imprisoned:	24.2
Year Crime:	1996
Year Convicted:
Year Cleared:	2021
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	New York
County or Region of Crime:	Queens
City of Crime:	New York City
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"George Bell, Gary Johnson, and Rohan Bolt were wrongly convicted of the December 21, 1996 murders of an off-duty NYPD cop and a business owner in Queens County, New York. Their prosecutions were largely based on the testimony of a police informant. After their convictions following separate jury trials, Bell was sentenced to life in prison without parole because he had been identified as the shooter, and the other two were sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. Post-conviction investigation discovered the DA's Office had failed to disclose exculpatory evidence to the men's trial lawyers, including that another suspect had been identified by the police. The three defendants were released on March 5, 2021 after their conviction were overturned. A motion by the Queens County DA to dismiss the charges against the three was granted on June 4, 2021. A bizarre aspect of the case is that a year after the murder, on Dec. 25, 1997, police arrested Bolt, who had never met Bell or Johnson, based on information from a crack addict with no connection to the crime. The 35 year-old Bolt was a married father of four who owned a local Caribbean restaurant."
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	"A motion by the Queens County DA to dismiss the charges against the three defendants was granted on June 4, 2021. "
Defendant Aided By:	Queens County Conviction Integrity Unit
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	19
Age When Released:	44
Sex:
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Queens DA moves to dismiss charges against 3 in 1996 double murder case, By Staff, ABC 7 (New York City), June 4, 2021"
Information Location 1:	https://abc7ny.com/queens-da-moves-to-dismiss-charges-against-3-in-1996-double-murder/10743509/
Information Source 2:	"Judge rules men locked up for 1996 double murder were wrongfully convicted, By Rebecca Rosenberg, New York Post, March 5, 2021"
Information Location 2:	https://nypost.com/2021/03/05/men-locked-up-for-1996-murders-were-wrongfully-convicted-judge/
Information Source 3:
Information Location 3:
Information Source 4:
Information Location 4:
Information Source 5:
Information Location 5:
Book About Case:
Book Information:
Book About Case (2):
Book Information (2):
Movie About Case:
Comments About Case:

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

George Bell

Charge:

First Degree Murder

Sentence:

25 years

Years Imprisoned:

24.2

Year Crime:

1996

Year Convicted:

Year Cleared:

2021

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

New York

County or Region of Crime:

Queens

City of Crime:

New York City

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

"A motion by the Queens County DA to dismiss the charges against the three defendants was granted on June 4, 2021. "

Defendant Aided By:

Queens County Conviction Integrity Unit

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

19

Age When Released:

44

Sex:

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Queens DA moves to dismiss charges against 3 in 1996 double murder case, By Staff, ABC 7 (New York City), June 4, 2021"

Information Location 1:

https://abc7ny.com/queens-da-moves-to-dismiss-charges-against-3-in-1996-double-murder/10743509/

Information Source 2:

"Judge rules men locked up for 1996 double murder were wrongfully convicted, By Rebecca Rosenberg, New York Post, March 5, 2021"

Information Location 2:

https://nypost.com/2021/03/05/men-locked-up-for-1996-murders-were-wrongfully-convicted-judge/

Information Source 3:

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: