Jon-Adrian Velazquez
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 |
| Spouse |
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 and celebrity support from actor Martin Sheen, actress Alfre Woodard, music executive Jason Flom, and entertainment company Roc Nation.
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.