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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Murder and Arson |
Sentence: |
25 yrs to life imprisonment |
Years Imprisoned: |
32.5 |
Year Crime: |
1980 |
Year Convicted: |
1982 |
Year Cleared: |
2015 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
New York |
County or Region of Crime: |
Kings |
City of Crime: |
New York City |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"William Vasquez, Amaury Villalobos and Raymond Mora were codefendants wrongly convicted in 1982 of arson and murder in Kings County, New York. On December 16, 2015 a hearing was held on a motion by the Kings County District Attorney's Office to set aside the convictions of Vasquez, Villalobos and Mora based on new scientific evidence that the fire was "in all likelihood accidental," During the hearing on December 16 Judge Matthew D'Emic granted the motion after the DA's Office conceded, "The record does not show that the defendants did anything to start a fire or acted together to start a fire — no evidence to show they were even present to start a fire." Mora's exoneration was posthumous because he died from a heart attack in prison in 1989. Vasquez, Villalobos and the estate of Mora filed federal civil rights lawsuits against the City of New York, and wrongful imprisonment lawsuits for compensation from the State of New York. On March 3, 2017 it was announced by city and state officials that the City of New York agreed to settle the lawsuits by Vasquez and Villalobos for $9.7 million each, and the State of New York agreed to settle their lawsuits for $5.75 million each. A total of $15.45 million each, less their legal fees and expenses. The lawsuits by Mora's estate were still pending." |
Conviction Caused By: |
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Innocence Proved By: |
"On December 16, 2015 a motion by the Kings County District Attorney's Office to set aside the convictions of Vasquez, Villalobos and Mora was granted. Mora's exoneration was posthumous because of his death in prison in 1989." |
Defendant Aided By: |
Kings County Conviction Integrity Unit |
Compensation Awarded: |
"$15.45 million total. $9.7 mil. (City of New York, March 3, 2017), $5.75 mil. (State of New York, March 3, 2017)" |
Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
30 |
Age When Released: |
62 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Hispanic |
Information Source 1: |
"Convictions Overturned for 3 Men in 1980 Fire That Killed 6, By Karen Matthews (Associated Press, New York), Abcnews.go.com, December 16, 2015" |
Information Location 1: |
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/convictions-overturned-men-1980-fire-killed-35800016 |
Information Source 2: |
"Two wrongly convicted Brooklyn men to get $15M each after serving 32 years in prison for fiery deaths of mother, kids, By Victoria Bekiempis (Staff writer), New York Daily News, March 3, 2017" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/nyc-men-15m-32-year-wrongful-murder-lockup-article-1.2988231 |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org