Woman Wrongfully Convicted In Murder Case Released After 13 Years

A woman, who spent over a decade in prison, was released after new evidence cast doubt on her involvement in a 1999 Bronx murder case. Kimberly Hanzlik, 59, was convicted in 2011 alongside gunman Joseph Meldish for allegedly tipping him off about the location of the victim, Thomas Brown, who was in Frenchy's Tavern on East Tremont Avenue on March 21, 1999. 

Ms Hanzlik was sentenced to 20 years to life in state prison, but a re-investigation into the case by the Bronx District Attorney's Office led to her acquittal. 

Meldish, who is suspected of being involved in 40 gangland murders, was furious with Brown – a former drug dealer – for refusing to lend him money and for reporting him to the police after a burglary. Ms Hanzlik, who was struggling with crack addiction at the time, was said to have accompanied Meldish and another man to the bar, where she allegedly saw Brown sitting with his wife and informed Meldish of his presence. Meldish then entered the bar and shot Brown eight times, killing him. However, it was later revealed that Meldish had actually murdered Brown's lookalike brother, Joey.

Ms Hanzlik was convicted largely based on testimony from the getaway driver, who claimed she helped in the murder. 

After Ms Hanzlik's attorneys requested a re-investigation in 2021, new evidence came to light. The DA's Conviction Integrity Bureau found police documents revealing that the getaway driver originally said Ms Hanzlik was not present at the scene. 

Brown's wife, who had earlier testified to seeing Ms Hanzlik in the bar before the shooting, did not mention her involvement until 2006, seven years after the incident. Investigators also uncovered that the now-dead NYPD detective who identified Ms Hanzlik was involved in coercing false identifications in an unrelated case.

On Tuesday, an administrative judge at the Bronx Hall of Justice granted Ms Hanzlik's attorney's motion to vacate her conviction, dismiss the indictment, and seal the case, allowing her to walk free from prison. 

Ms Hanzlik's attorney, Irving Cohen, called it an “amazing day” for his client. “We knew she was innocent right away,” Mr Cohen said, adding that Ms Hanzlik was “really emotional” about her release. “I mean, she is totally innocent. She wasn't there when this event happened.”

However, not everyone was pleased with the outcome. Brown's widow Eileen said that she was “disgusted” with the outcome, as per the NY Post. “I don't understand how they could be letting her out.” She argued, “If she didn't walk into that bar and point out my husband, he would still be with us today.”