A once-convicted killer walked out of prison Tuesday after 23 years — courtesy of the same dubious detectives who helped lock him up.
Eliseo DeLeon received hugs and cheers after exiting a Brooklyn courtroom where his murder conviction was vacated by a judge who cited the sketchy statements of ex-NYPD detectives Louis Scarcella and his partner Stephen Chmil in her decision.
“Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty I’m free at last,” said a beaming DeLeon, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King as a smile stretched across his bearded face. “It feels great.”
DeLeon, who’s spent more than half his life behind bars, is not quite clear of the legal system. The now 42-year-old defendant, after posting $100,000 bail, returns to court Nov. 26 for a hearing where Brooklyn prosecutors will decide whether to cut DeLeon loose, appeal the case or opt for a retrial.
