BROOKLYN, New York City (WABC) — .

BROOKLYN, New York City (WABC) — After spending close to 25 years in a prison cell, Eliseo DeLeon’s murder conviction was overturned by a judge in Brooklyn Tuesday.

DeLeon sat in his tan prison jumpsuit with his hands clenched under his chin, crying as the judge announced the conviction was getting thrown out.

 


The 42-year-old was convicted of killing Fausto Cordero during an attempted robbery inn 1996 while walking home with his wife and friends in Brooklyn.

However, DeLeon has maintained his innocence and claims his reported confession at the time was fabricated by former NYPD Detective Louis Scarcella and another detective.

“If you look at the words of the confession, it was police confession 101,” attorney Cary London said. “‘I was in the vicinity of 161 Franklin for the sole purpose of robbing a male Hispanic. There was a struggle over the gun and the victim was accidentally shot.’ What defendant uses the words ‘vicinity,’ ‘male Hispanic,’ and ‘victim’? None. That is cop lingo when they’re falsifying a confession.”

Even though his conviction was overturned, the judge ordered a $100,000 bond that his attorney says his family posted Tuesday.
He held his baby niece for the very first time after court.