By admin 
Honolulu: A Hawaii man who spent 30 years behind bars for a murder he always claimed he didn’t commit called his release “Freedom Friday” and expressed his eagerness to visit his mother after a judge overturned his conviction based on new DNA evidence.
Gasps and cries filled the courtroom as Judge Kirstin Hamman declared, “The judgment and sentence are vacated, and the defendant is ordered to be released from custody.” Moments later, the Zoom feed broadcasting the hearing was abruptly cut off.
The judge ruled that new DNA test results and other evidence could significantly impact the outcome of a retrial for Gordon Cordeiro, who had been convicted in the 1994 killing of Timothy Blaisdell during a drug deal robbery on Maui.
Cordeiro’s first trial ended with a hung jury, with only one juror voting to convict. However, he was later found guilty of murder, robbery, and attempted murder and sentenced to life without parole.
The Hawaii Innocence Project took on his case, arguing this week that Cordeiro should be freed based on new evidence proving his innocence, the ineffective counsel he previously received, and prosecutorial misconduct.
Prosecution to Appeal the Ruling
Maui County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Martin expressed disappointment with the judge’s decision, stating, “None of the judge’s findings exonerate him in any way.” His office intends to appeal and will seek bail for Cordeiro’s release, citing a potential flight risk due to the murder charge.
Kenneth Lawson, co-director of the Hawaii Innocence Project, described the moment of release as highly emotional.
“He cried, we all cried,” Lawson said. “He believed he would be exonerated, but after two trials, you lose faith in the justice system. To finally hear a judge say, ‘I’m vacating your convictions,’ that’s when it hit him.”
“Freedom Friday”—Cordeiro Speaks After Release
Following his release, Cordeiro, now 51, addressed reporters outside the Maui Community Correctional Center, calling the moment “Freedom Friday.” The Associated Press listened via phone from Honolulu.
Feeling overwhelmed with gratitude, he thanked his supporters, the judge, and even the prosecutors who agreed to certain facts in the case.
“I’d like to go see my mom,” he said. “That would be nice.”
When asked about adjusting to freedom after three decades in prison, he simply replied, “I got good support.”
Wrongful Conviction and the Role of Jailhouse Informants
Court documents revealed that Cordeiro was wrongfully convicted largely due to unreliable jailhouse informants who were motivated by promises of reduced sentences. These informants falsely claimed Cordeiro was involved in a murder-for-hire plot.
“Unfortunately for Cordeiro, the state’s use of incentivized jailhouse informants and their fabricated evidence was enough to convince a jury in his second trial,” the Hawaii Innocence Project stated in court filings.
While the judge found insufficient evidence to prove prosecutors intentionally used false testimony, she acknowledged that new DNA evidence and additional information about gunshot residue would likely lead to a different outcome in a retrial.
New DNA Evidence Proves Cordeiro’s Innocence
At the time of Blaisdell’s murder, Cordeiro, then 22, had a strong alibi—he was at home with his family, building a shelving unit in their garage and installing a stereo in his sister’s car.
Court documents indicate that Blaisdell had gone to Maui’s Skid Row with a man named Michael Freitas to buy a pound of marijuana with $800 in cash. His body was later found in a ravine.
Freitas repeatedly changed his story and eventually blamed Cordeiro, wrongly believing that Cordeiro had “snitched” on him in an unrelated drug case.
Years after the conviction, new DNA testing on crime scene evidence excluded Cordeiro as a suspect. Investigators discovered DNA from an unidentified individual inside the pockets of Blaisdell’s jeans, further supporting the claim that Cordeiro was not involved.
Cordeiro’s attorneys argue that Freitas, who died in 2020, orchestrated the robbery and was involved in Blaisdell’s murder.
“The police botched this case from the beginning, turning the No. 1 suspect into the state’s star witness,” Lawson said. “This led to a 30-year nightmare and a miscarriage of justice for Gordon and his family.”
Gill Bikram Singh