Free Jeff Deskovic Now

In 1991, Jeff Deskovic was convicted of the rape and murder of Angela Correa, in Elmira County, NY., despite the fact that DNA evidence obtained from the victim, did not match his own. Jacket and hair fiber tests also did not produce a match. There was in fact no conclusive scientific or physical evidence linking Jeff to this crime. He was convicted solely on the basis of a coerced confession, which was pried out of him, using abusive and deceptive interrogation tactics. Jeff was 16, when he was dragged into an out-of-precinct interrogation room, and subjected to 7 1/2 hours of questioning, verbal abuse, threats, and false promises of a lighter sentence, if he would just agree to 'confess'. Jeff insists that he 'confessed' only because he saw this as the only means of escaping this situation, as he was being detained indefinitely, and officers were threatening to beat or harm him, if he did not give the confession they wanted. He was also promised that if he confessed to the crime, he would not go to jail at all, and/or would receive a much lighter sentence, than would be the case, if he did not agree to tell the detectives what they wanted to hear. Scared and confused, Jeff fabricated a confession to escape this abuse, and to avoid the penalties that he was being threatened with, and was then immediately handcuffed and jailed. He later tried to recant his confession, but was not allowed to do so. No recordings or videos were made of his confession, to document the abuses that went on during the interrogation. The only 'evidence' of his confession, in fact, was the word of the detectives who questioned him.

Jeff has exhausted all his appeal options, and can now only hope to be released via a 'post conviction motion', or a full Governor’s pardon. Due to the manipulation of some in the court system, Jeff has never had the opportunity to produce new evidence and new witnesses who have also surfaced in this case, and says the merits of his case were actually only reviewed ONCE, despite numerous appeals. He was time-barred at the Federal Court appeal level, after his lawyer was given misinformation by a court employee, regarding filing deadlines, effectively depriving him of his right to a review, at that level.

There is now a known witness who can testify that they heard another person confess to this crime. There is a witness who saw this same person at the scene of the crime, at the time the crime occurred, there is a witness who can testify that one of the investigating detectives who helped put Jeff in prison, was in fact involved in illegal and unethical activities with the victim, and that the victim was actually a prostitute, who was most likely murdered by her 'pimp'. (who was also apparently an associate of one of the detectives who helped put Jeff in jail). The court has never allowed the testimony of any of these witnesses to be brought forward. Since Jeff's imprisonment, he has continued to insist he is innocent of this crime. He has thus far served 14 years, for a crime that there is much evidence to show he most likely did not commit. And he was jailed despite DNA evidence which should have exonerated him completely.

We, the undersigned, taking into consideration all of the above circumstances, are in favor of Jeffrey Deskovic receiving a pardon, on the grounds of innocence, or at the very least, being granted a full review of his case, with ALL pertinent evidence and the testimony of old, as well as new witnesses being fully considered, and with the full weight of merit being afforded to the results of DNA and hair comparison tests, WITHOUT PREJUDICE.