Jon-Adrian Velazquez | |
|---|---|
 Velazquez interviewed by Lester Holt after his exoneration | |
| Born | November 11, 1975 |
| Other names | JJ Velazquez |
| Alma mater | Mercy University |
| Occupation(s) | Co-Founder and Executive Director of Voices from Within |
| Partner |
Geri Leigh Tiu (m. 2023) |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | jonadrianjjvelazquez |
Jon-Adrian Velazquez (born November 11, 1975) also known as "JJ" Velazquez, is an American legal reform activist and actor who was wrongfully convicted of a 1998 murder of a retired police officer. He was serving a 25 years to life sentence at maximum security Sing-Sing prison in New York. His case garnered considerable attention from the media ten years after his conviction, due to a long-term investigation by Dateline NBC producer Dan Slepian[1][2] and celebrity support from actor Martin Sheen,[3] actress Alfre Woodard,[4] music executive Jason Flom,[5] and entertainment company Roc Nation. [6]
On May 8, 2022 The New York Times published an extensive feature on how Velazquez was Slepian's "one man innocent project" inside Sing Sing prison to help free several innocent men.[7]
- ^ "Investigations: U.S. & World News Investigations | NBC News". Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
- ^ Guthrie, Marisa (February 11, 2012). "NBC News' 'Dateline' Examines 1999 Murder Conviction". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
- ^ "Martin Sheen: Latino Man Wrongly Convicted of Murder | Fox News Latino". 2011-12-06. Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
- ^ Hollywood Actress Joins Movement to Get Murder Conviction Tossed Out
- ^ Exec who launched stars like Katy Perry and Kid Rock is now helping free the innocent
- ^ Team Roc, Roc Nation's Activist Wing, Works in the Trenches
- ^ Kilgannon, Corey (7 May 2022). "How 5 Convicted Murderers Banded Together to Get Out of Prison". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2022.