A Hawaii man, Gordon Cordeiro, who has maintained his innocence for three decades, was granted release by a judge on Friday. The decision came after new evidence, including DNA test results, surfaced, potentially altering the outcome of a retrial against Cordeiro. The judge's ruling to vacate his convictions and life sentence was met with emotional reactions in the courtroom, with Cordeiro set to be freed from custody.
In 1994, Cordeiro was convicted of murder, robbery, and attempted murder in connection with a fatal incident during a drug deal robbery on Maui. The Hawaii Innocence Project took on his case, arguing for his release based on new evidence pointing to his innocence, as well as citing issues with his legal representation and alleged prosecutorial misconduct.
