NEW YORK — Judge Robert Mandelbaum vacated the 1994 murder conviction of Harry Ruiz at a post-conviction hearing in Manhattan. Ruiz had been convicted of second-degree murder in the 1993 fatal shooting of Emmanuel Felix, an alleged drug dealer in Harlem.

At age 25, Ruiz was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison by Judge Harold Rothwax, who was nicknamed "Prince of Darkness" for his harsh sentences. Three of Ruiz's family members vouched for his alibi at trial. The 13-year-old witness who identified him as the shooter changed her testimony during the trial, at one point identifying a spectator in the courtroom instead of Ruiz. Ruiz was released on parole in 2019.

The Manhattan district attorney's post-conviction review unit opened an inquiry into the case two years ago after New York City detective Carlos Vasquez discovered Ruiz's case file while investigating another killing and became convinced of Ruiz's innocence. The review found that prosecutors provided payments and housing worth $17,000 to the mother of the 13-year-old witness, and found no evidence that those payments were disclosed to the defense as legally required.

In 2002, a federal informant admitted to paying someone to kill Felix and said Ruiz was not involved, and a second person came forward that year to corroborate the informant's account. According to court filings, prosecutors under then-Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau were aware of the informant's statements but did not reopen the case or disclose them to Ruiz's appeal team.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said that dozens of interviews and an in-depth document review had produced new evidence that "significantly undermines the case presented at trial." Mandelbaum rebuked former assistant district attorney Helen Sturm, who had declined to be interviewed by investigators, for her refusal to participate in the case reinvestigation. "To this court, that speaks volumes," the judge said.

Ruiz wiped away tears at the hearing. "I feel like I can finally breathe again," he said. "There are a lot of people in there who are the same as me, who deserve justice. I hope this never happens to anybody ever again," Ruiz said.