Former Prisoner Vindicated After 41 Years
Years before Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce was born, his father spent time in prison for an armed robbery conviction that prosecutors now say was tainted by questionable police tactics and a witness identification that was later recanted.
A New Look at the Case
On Friday, a suburban New York judge agreed, erasing 67-year-old Jeffrey Koonce’s conviction and dismissing his indictment more than four decades after a 1981 robbery at Vernon Stars Rod and Gun Club in Mount Vernon.
The Investigation
Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah backed his request to erase the conviction after her office uncovered problems with the case.
Rocah’s Conviction Review Unit investigated the 1983 conviction and found evidence that Mount Vernon police pressured the lone victim-witness to implicate Koonce, made Koonce’s picture larger than others in a photo array and failed to interview alibi witnesses who corroborated his claim that he was elsewhere.
Problems with the Case
A Mount Vernon detective later lied about the composition of the photo arrays when he testified at pretrial hearings and Koonce’s trial, and a court subsequently ordered the department to change its unduly suggestive photo identification practices, Rocah said. One of the detectives involved in Koonce’s case later went to prison after a federal corruption sting.
The Judge’s Ruling
At a hearing Friday, Westchester County Judge James McCarty ordered that Koonce’s robbery and weapons possession convictions be vacated and that his indictment be dismissed, citing deficiencies with the witness identification and the “totality of the unique circumstances presented by this case.”
Conclusion
Koonce absconded from court during jury deliberations and was found about seven months later, sleeping on his girlfriend’s couch in the Bronx, according to newspaper reports from the time. He was sentenced to 7½ to 15 years in prison for the robbery and served a shorter, simultaneous sentence for bail jumping. He was released on parole in Aug. 1992. His brother, Paul, a high school sophomore at the time, also was charged in the robbery. He was acquitted.
FAQs
Q: What was Jeffrey Koonce convicted of?
A: Jeffrey Koonce was convicted of armed robbery and weapons possession in 1983.
Q: How long did he spend in prison?
A: Koonce spent nearly eight years in prison before being released on parole in 1992.
Q: Why was his conviction overturned?
A: Koonce’s conviction was overturned due to questionable police tactics and a witness identification that was later recanted.
Q: What is the significance of this case?
A: This case is significant because it highlights the importance of ensuring that justice is served and that wrongful convictions are addressed. It also underscores the need for law enforcement agencies to adhere to ethical and professional standards in their investigations.
Q: What is the impact on Jeffrey Koonce’s family?
A: The overturning of Koonce’s conviction has a profound impact on his family, particularly his children, who have had to live with the stigma of their father being a convicted felon. This decision brings closure and vindication to the family.
