Man Freed After 19 Years in Prison for Robbery He Did Not Commit

A man identified as Kenneth Windley has been released after spending 19 years in prison for a robbery he did not commit.

Windley was originally arrested in 2005 after purchasing a stove for his mother using a money order that he was unaware had been stolen.

The money order had been taken from a 70-year-old man, Gerald Ross, who was attacked by two thieves after returning home from a bank and post office visit.

According to prosecutors, the suspects placed Ross in a chokehold before stealing money orders, cash, and a bank book from him.

Investigators were able to trace the stolen money orders because Ross regularly used them to pay rent and life insurance. The paper trail eventually led to Windley, who had used his real name, driver’s license, and address when purchasing the stove at an appliance store.

Police later raided his home and arrested him. However, Windley consistently maintained his innocence, explaining that he had bought a $542.77 money order at a discount from acquaintances who assured him it was legitimate but claimed they could not use it due to bureaucratic issues.

“He was duped,” one of Windley’s lawyers, David Shanies, told the court.

Despite his claims, Ross identified Windley in a lineup, and a jury convicted him of robbery in 2007. Due to prior felony convictions, he was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison, and his appeals were unsuccessful.

From early on, Windley provided investigators with details about the individuals who sold him the money order, including their nicknames and partial identities. Over time, with the help of a friend and private investigators, more information about the suspects was uncovered.

Eventually, the two men came forward and admitted to committing the robbery, confirming that Windley had no involvement. Their confessions were described by prosecutors as “compelling.”

The men, identified in reports only as “Suspect 1” and “Suspect 2,” are currently serving prison sentences for other robbery-related offenses. Their crimes reportedly followed a similar pattern, targeting older male victims in Brooklyn between 2005 and 2006.

Prosecutors concluded that if the jury had been aware of these individuals and their criminal history, it would likely have created reasonable doubt in Windley’s case.

No new charges have been filed, as the legal time limit for prosecution expired years ago. Meanwhile, the victim, Gerald Ross, has since passed away.

Despite the years lost, Windley expressed a sense of peace after his release.

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

Looking ahead, he added: “I’m just going to move on from there.”