Nationwide — Kenneth Windley, an African American man from Brooklyn, New York, spent nearly 20 years in prison for a robbery he didn’t commit after buying his mother a stove with a stolen money order. His conviction was finally overturned, and he is now free.
Windley, 61, was linked to a 2005 robbery in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights after authorities said he used a stolen money order to buy a stove for his mother. He was convicted of second-degree robbery in 2007 and sentenced to 20 years to life.
At the time, Windley testified that he had purchased the money order from two street sellers, believing he was helping them. He said he didn’t know it was stolen and had never used a money order before. The victim later identified Windley as one of the men involved in the elevator robbery.
Years later, prosecutors re-examined the case. Windley tracked down the two men who had sold him the money order. They confirmed that he had no part in the robbery. Officials also verified this with recorded prison phone calls and emails.
According to NBC News, Brooklyn judge tossed Windley’s conviction after the review, clearing his name. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “It has taken many years, but today we are able to validate his account, release him from prison and exonerate his name.”
Outside the courthouse, Windley said, “It cost me 20 years, but they said they corrected it now. So that’s all that matters.” The case highlights how mistaken connections to crimes can keep innocent people behind bars for decades.