Manhattan Judge Vacates Ruiz's 1994 Murder Conviction

New York — A Manhattan judge vacated the 1994 murder conviction of Harry Ruiz on Monday after a review uncovered evidence that prosecutors had withheld from the defense, including thousands of dollars in payments to the mother of the case's sole eyewitness.

Ruiz, 58, had served 25 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Emmanuel Felix, an alleged drug dealer, in Harlem. He was released on parole in 2019 but maintained his innocence throughout. Judge Robert Mandelbaum announced the decision in court, marking a rare rebuke of former Assistant District Attorney Helen Sturm, who led the original prosecution and declined to participate in the reinvestigation. "To this court, that speaks volumes," Mandelbaum said.

The case gained renewed attention two years ago when the Manhattan District Attorney's post-conviction review unit examined it following a tip from Detective Carlos Vasquez. Investigators found that prosecutors provided approximately $17,000 in payments and housing to the mother of a 13-year-old girl who identified Ruiz as the shooter. No record showed these benefits were disclosed to the defense, as required by law.

The girl's testimony proved inconsistent during the...