NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK: Paul Scrimo, a 66-year-old New York man, was finally freed from prison after spending 18 years behind bars for a murder he always denied committing.
On Thursday, September 28, a Nassau County jury found him not guilty of killing loral designer Ruth Williams, who was strangled in her Long Island apartment in 2000.
Scrimo’s first conviction in 2002 was overturned
Scrimo’s first conviction in 2002 was overturned by an appeals court in 2019, which ruled that he had been denied a fair trial as per AP.
Scrimo was serving 25 years to life in prison when the appeals court decided to toss out the conviction as per News12.
The court also noted that DNA evidence under the victim’s fingernails did not match Scrimo’s.
Scrimo said he was grateful for the acquittal and the opportunity to reunite with his family, especially his wife, who stood by him throughout his ordeal.
Williams' brother in 2019 told News 12 the appeals court judges were wrong to overturn Scrimo's conviction, calling it a bitter disappointment.
Wrongly imprisoned Paul Scrimo said 'kids always loved me'
He shared, “I missed all of the graduations, all of the weddings,” Scrimo said.
“The kids always loved me. They never said, ‘Dad, you weren’t here.’ With my wife … she’s been hurt by this. But she’s a good girl, and I’m gonna make it up to her forever.”
According to Newsday, prosecutors at both trials argued that Scrimo killed Williams after she insulted his wife.
Scrimo claimed that a friend who was with him at the time of Williams’ death was the real killer. The friend was never charged in the case.
Brendan Brosh, a spokesperson for Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly, said in a statement, "We respect the verdict."
Scrimo's defense attorneys, Earl S Ward and Julia P Kuan, expressed their confidence in him and stood by him from the beginning. He was released from prison in 2020, awaiting trial and reconnected with his grandchildren and the rest of his family for these years, per Newsday.
"We've always believed in him," said Ward as Kuan added, "This is justice for our client."
His children expressed their happiness at the verdict, with his youngest son, Thomas, who was eight at the time of the arrest, calling the overturning of the verdict "great," unable to express his feelings.
"Today, I'm a sweet old man who tends to spoil his granddaughters," Scrimo said, as he left the courthouse with his arms around his son.
