New York Man Exonerated After 19 Years in Prison for Robbery He Didn't Commit

Kenneth Windley was freed after prosecutors agreed he was wrongly convicted of a 2005 robbery in Brooklyn.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 12:54am

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A New York man named Kenneth Windley was exonerated and freed on Monday after spending nearly two decades in prison for a robbery he did not commit. Prosecutors said new evidence, including confessions from two other men convicted of similar robberies, supported Windley's longstanding claim of innocence. Windley was arrested in 2005 after buying a stove for his mother with a stolen money order, but he maintained he had simply bought the money order from acquaintances who insisted it was valid.

Why it matters

This case highlights the serious consequences of wrongful convictions and the importance of thorough investigations and evidence analysis to ensure justice is served. Windley's story is a cautionary tale about how things can seem one way but turn out differently upon closer examination, underscoring the need for careful analysis of all the facts.

The details

Windley was convicted in 2007 of robbery and sentenced to 20 years to life in prison, despite his claims of innocence. After his conviction, Windley provided prosecutors with information about the men who had actually committed the robbery, and his lawyers were able to persuade those men to come forward with sworn statements admitting their guilt. Prosecutors concluded that if the jury had known the identities and robbery records of the actual perpetrators, it likely would have raised reasonable doubt about the charges against Windley.

  • Windley was arrested in 2005 after buying a stove with a stolen money order.
  • Windley was convicted of robbery in 2007 and sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.
  • On March 17, 2026, a judge threw out Windley's conviction and dismissed his case entirely, at the request of both prosecutors and Windley's lawyers.

The players

Kenneth Windley

A 61-year-old man who spent nearly two decades in prison for a robbery he did not commit.

Eric Gonzalez

The Brooklyn District Attorney, a Democrat, who apologized privately to Windley and said the case should never have happened.

Gerald Ross

A 70-year-old man who was the victim of the 2005 robbery, but has since passed away.

Suspect 1

One of the two men who confessed to committing the robbery that Windley was wrongly convicted of, and is currently serving prison time on other robbery convictions.

Suspect 2

The other man who confessed to committing the robbery that Windley was wrongly convicted of, and is also currently serving prison time on other robbery convictions.

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What they’re saying

“It cost me 20 years, but they said they corrected it now. So that's all that matters. So I'm good with that.”

— Kenneth Windley

“This case is really a cautionary tale of how things can seem one way but, without careful analysis, not be what it purports to be.”

— Eric Gonzalez, Brooklyn District Attorney

“Had we known what the evidence was, this case should have never happened.”

— Eric Gonzalez, Brooklyn District Attorney

The takeaway

This case highlights the serious consequences of wrongful convictions and the need for thorough investigations and careful analysis of all evidence to ensure justice is served. It underscores the importance of addressing systemic issues in the criminal justice system to prevent such miscarriages of justice from occurring.