A man from Hawaii was released after spending 30 years in prison for a murder he says he did not commit, and some of the first things he did after his release was to enjoy A steak dinner and visit his mother’s grave.
Gordon Cordeiro obtained his secure freedom on Friday after a judge ordered him the release of new DNA evidence that led to the overthrow of his conviction during the deadly Timothy shot in 1994 on the island of Maui.
The mother of Cordeiro, Paulette, died in September 1994, a month before the arrest of her son. She died at the age of 49 of ALS, often called Lou Gehrig’s disease. Cordeiro and his sisters had turned in turn before her before her death.
“Thank you for looking at me,” recalls Cordeiro in his grave just a few hours after his release on Friday, he told the Associated Press. “Keeping me safe.”
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Gordon Cordeiro, who spent 30 years in prison for a murder he said that he had not committed, visits the grave of his mother on Friday, February 21, 2025 in Makawa, Hawaii, a few hours after a judge ordered his release. (Denise Cordeiro via AP)
Cordeiro said he often thought of his mother during his time behind bars. He said he was with her and built shelves for the family when Blaisdell was shot in a drug flight.
After enjoying a steak dinner in a steak and visiting the grave of his mother, he celebrated with his family with his father. The next day, he went to the graves of other parents and made a trip to Costco.
“This is normal,” he told the Associated Press.
Maui, however, changed a lot during his prison period, said Cordeiro, citing the historic city of Lahaina destroyed by a forest fire in 2023.
He also pointed out that technology and consumption have changed.
“Everyone looks at their phones,” he said.
Gordon Cordeiro likes to dine in a steak house on Friday, February 21, 2025 in Kahului, Hawaii, a few hours after a judge ordered the release of new evidence. (AP)
Cordeiro had only one teleaftor before being sent to prison. He now has a smartphone, but said that he “did not look at him yet. He continues to be beeps and messages to come, and it’s different”.
Judge Kirstin Hamman announced on Friday that Cordeiro’s sentence had been canceled and that he was to be released from the guard. She said new evidence, including DNA test results, would likely change the result of another test.
Maui County Prosecutor Andrew Martin said he was planning to appeal and request a deposit imposed on the release of Cordeiro.
The first trial of Cordeiro ended with a suspended jury, because a single juror voted to condemn him. He was then found guilty of murder, qualified theft and attempted murder, and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
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Gordon Cordeiro was released after a judge ordered him released in the light of new DNA evidence which led to the reversal of his conviction during the deadly shooting of Timothy in 1994. (istock)
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After his conviction, new tests on physical evidence of the scene excluded him as a source of DNA on the body of Blaisdell and other evidence of the crime, according to the Hawaii Innocence Project. An DNA profile of an unidentified person was also found on the interior pockets of Blaisdell jeans.
“Thank goodness for the new DNA,” said Cordeiro on Saturday. “The technology is great.”
Cordeiro said his immediate plans include repairing cars, helping with his father’s house and “perhaps giving back to the community”.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
