The New York Times reported that Joseph Gordon, a 78-year-old Black man, has spent 28 years in a New York prison for a murder he says he did not commit. He wants his freedom for the sixth time.
Gordon was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison in 1993 for the murder of Daniel Pack.
Pack was killed in Gordon's basement. According to a 1993 article from Buffalo News, Gordon's attorneys claim that he was not the one who committed the murder.
Gordon told the New York State Board of Parole that he did what he could to protect the person he was protecting.
He said that he was led to believe that it was an unwanted sexual encounter. I'm not going to sully his reputation.
Pack's sperm was found in his mouth, but it didn't belong to him or his son.
Gordon's attorneys alleged that his son killed Pack throughout the initial investigation, and that he insisted that his father committed the murder.
Pack went to the Gordon residence to work out a dispute over a $70,000 investment he made in baseball cards, according to prosecutors.
James Rooney, a prosecutor in Westchester County, accused Gordon of selling useless baseball cards.
Gordon didn't say that his son committed the murder until his second parole hearing 25 years later.
Gordon said at his March 2020 hearing that he didn't trust the system and didn't call the police because he wanted to protect his son. I didn't think it was true. I wanted to take care of my son.
Gordon said he was not going to testify against his son. I was not going to put my son in jail.
Chad Gordon denied any connection to his father's murder.
The police were told by Elizabeth Deerr that she saw Gordon leave the house on the day of the murder. She said she saw a white man pull into the driveway 15 minutes later. She told the police that things could've been different for Joe if she had testified.
He's been denied parole five times since he was released from prison, but has a sixth hearing in December. The exact hearing date was not confirmed by the New York State Board of Parole.
The board expects them to accept responsibility and express remorse, according to the executive director of the Parole preparation project. People who maintain their innocence are in a difficult situation. The Parole preparation project did not reply to Insider's request for more information.
According to appeal documents, after a conviction, the Board doesn't "re evaluate a claim of innocence."
The New York State Board of Parole gave a statement to Insider.
The Board members must follow the statutory requirements which take into consideration many factors, including statements made by victims and victims' families, if any, as well as an individual's criminal history, institutional accomplishments, potential to successfully reintegrate into the community.
Robert Tendy, the current district attorney of Putnam County, told The Times that it was not just the physical threat. The person will be given a soapbox to preach his innocence and become part of the movement to undermine the justice system. There is a lot of it going on.
Gordon works in the prison. He told The Times that he'd like to get involved with community work after his release, rejecting the idea of using a soapbox and becoming part of a movement.
