You are reading

Three Men Wrongly Convicted of Double Murder Won’t Face New Trial: DA

From left, George Bell, Rohan Bolt and Gary Johnson (Source: GoFundMe)

June 4, 2021 By Ryan Songalia

Three men who spent nearly a quarter century behind bars after being wrongfully convicted for a 1996 double murder can now move on with their lives.

George Bell, Gary Johnson and Rohan Bolt, who were released in March when their sentences were vacated due to prosecutorial misconduct, were notified by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz Thursday that she would no retry them.

The men appeared in Queens Supreme Court this morning where the charges related to the 1996 killings of Charles Davis and Ira Epstein were formally dismissed. The two men were shot and killed on Dec. 21, 1996 during a botched robbery attempt at Epstein’s check cashing business in East Elmhurst. Davis, an off-duty NYPD officer, was working as a part-time security guard.

“As of this moment, you once again have the power to choose to decide what happens next in your lives,” said Justice Michelle Johnson during the hearing.

The decision not to pursue charges followed a three-month investigation by the Conviction Integrity Unit. That followed an eleven-month investigation where it was determined that the three men were victims of prosecutorial misconduct.

“There can be no true justice, in Queens County or anywhere else, unless we hold ourselves to the highest standards facilitating the process by which justice is sought. My commitment to the effort continues,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

The investigation conducted by the Conviction Integrity Unit determined that the prosecutors failed to disclose key information at the time of the initial trial that would have helped the defense. For instance, the defense was not informed that a member of a gang called “Speedstick” had implicated himself and other members of his gang in the killings.

Prosecutors also failed to disclose the mental health records of a purported accomplice who testified against two of the defendants at trial.

The decision not to pursue charges follows 60 interviews with witnesses and a review of hundreds of hours of electronic evidence. Investigators also reevaluated DNA evidence, ballistics evidence and re-tested fingerprints.

Bell, who was 19 years old at the time of the killings, said he would close his eyes at night while in prison and imagine himself being at a family gathering. He has been able to make that dream a reality ever since March 5, when the three men were released from prison.

“To be free is the most amazing feeling in the world,” Bell said. He says that the small things in life, like calling his parents each morning, or even just opening his own refrigerator, are what he looks forward to each day.”

Gary Johnson, who was 22 at the time of the murders, says the charges being dropped brings a sense of closure to his life.

“The burden that has been sitting on my shoulders for the past 24 years has been lifted and I am excited to be able to start my life again,” Johnson said.

Rohan Bolt, who was 35 at the time of the killings, says he hopes his conviction being overturned will lead to other wrongly-convicted people being set free as well.

“I will never get that time back, but I will make the most of every day I have now,” Bolt said.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Fall fun in western Queens: Your guide to the best seasonal events

Aug. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello

With beach days and summer BBQs behind us, the start of September rings in the start of magnificent Fall foliage, Halloween and more fun activities that come with the start of Autumn, including a list of Fall events in the area. From apple picking to seasonal ciders and more, there is tons to explore in the community. From Mystic Markets to scary movie meet-ups and more, here is a list of Fall events you do not want to miss.

Fresh Meadows MS-13 gang associate sentenced to nearly a half-century in prison for murder of Corona teen in Kissena Park: Feds

An MS-13 gang associate from Fresh Meadows was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison on Tuesday, Aug. 26, for the 2018 slaying of a Corona teenager in Flushing’s Kissena Park.

Juan Amaya-Ramirez, 27, and his co-defendant Oscar Flores-Mejia, 25, from Elmhurst, who is also an associate of the transnational criminal organization, pleaded guilty to the murder of 17-year-old Andy Peralta in Brooklyn federal court last September.

AG’s office launches investigation into death of man run over by police officer in Flushing Meadows Corona Park

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigations (OSI) has launched a probe into the death of a civilian on Saturday, Aug. 23, following a motor vehicle collision involving NYPD officers in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

At approximately 4:37 p.m., an NYPD officer from the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst was driving westbound in a marked police cruiser, a 2015 Ford Taurus, at around 10 miles per hour in front of the Queens Theater on United Nations Avenue South, across from the Unisphere, when the vehicle ran over a man who was allegedly lying face up on the roadway prior to the collision, police said.