'Sing Sing' Star JJ Velazquez Exonerated of Wrongful Murder Conviction After 24 Years in Prison
justjared.comJon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez has been exonerated. The 48-year-old Sing Sing actor, who served nearly 24 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, was exonerated of his wrongful murder conviction on Monday morning (September 30) in a Manhattan courthouse in New York City.
The actor “held back tears, pounded his chest and pumped his fist as he hugged friends and family,” via Variety, and “hugged his mother as she wept and cried out, ’27 years!’ in reference to how long it has almost been since Velazquez was first convicted.” He co-stars with Colman Domingo in the A24 prison drama that follows a group of incarcerated men who find purpose in acting in theater productions.
The ensemble features formerly incarcerated actors, and takes place at the Sing Sing Correctional Facility, where he was falsely imprisoned. Keep reading to find out more… Sing Sing star Clarence Maclin, director Greg Kwedar and Brent Buell, the playwright and theater instructor who is played by Paul Raci in the film, were in attendance at the hearing.
The crowd reportedly cheered for him, waved Puerto Rican flags and chanted, “¡Sí se puede!” “I was kidnapped by this country and enslaved,” he said to NBC’s Lester Holt, adding: “This is not a celebration.
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