PHILADELPHIA, PA – Neftali Velasquez, previously convicted of murder in 2016, has been released by the Court of Common Pleas following the dismissal of his charges.
This decision was made on Monday as a result of insufficient reliable evidence to justify a retrial for his alleged crime. The motion was prompted by the Conviction Integrity Unit’s (CIU) review of cases associated with disgraced former Philadelphia detective, Philip Nordo.
Velasquez’s trial for the 2012 murder of Domingo Rivera was marred by multiple constitutional rights violations. Witnesses presented by the Commonwealth recanted their statements implicating Velasquez, further compounded by Nordo’s undisclosed misconduct, including his illegal detention and interview of a key witness. The misconduct led to the decision to vacate Velasquez’s conviction and order a new trial in March.
This dismissal follows a thorough investigation by the CIU, which cited Nordo’s misconduct, along with irregularities involving the witnesses as reasons for dismissal. The family of Rivera expressed their grief and frustration at the flawed 2016 prosecution, which they believe deprived them of a sense of justice.
The CIU’s review of convictions tied to Nordo has thus far resulted in seven exonerations and three resentencings.