3 men cleared in 1995 killing of NYC subway token clerk

Source: Associated Press

3 men cleared in 1995 killing of NYC subway token clerk

By JENNIFER PELTZ
July 15, 2022

NEW YORK (AP) — After decades in prison, three men were cleared Friday in one of the most horrifying crimes of New York’s violent 1990s — the killing of a clerk who was set on fire in a subway toll booth.

A judge dismissed the murder convictions of Vincent Ellerbe, James Irons and Thomas Malik after prosecutors said the case was built on falsehood-filled confessions, shaky witness identifications and other flawed evidence.

The three confessed to and were convicted of murdering token seller Harry Kaufman in 1995. The case resounded from New York to Washington to Hollywood, after parallels were drawn between the deadly arson and a scene in the movie “Money Train,” which had been released four days earlier.

Malik and Irons, both 45, left court free for the first time in over a quarter-century. Ellerbe, 44, was paroled in 2020.

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The men have long said they were coerced into falsely confessing in the case, which involved detectives who later were repeatedly accused of forcing confessions and framing suspects.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/fires-crime-new-york-brooklyn-943316391f1a7eb9e7e2b195fce934b2