Man who served 10 years for NYC killing cleared of crime after more than 50 years

Paul Gatling wipes away tears as a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge exonerates him, Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. The Virginia man spent nearly a decade in prison after being wrongly convicted of murdering an artist in Brooklyn in 1963. At the request of Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, a New York judge on Monday vacated the conviction of 81-year-old Gatling for the 1963 shooting death of Lawrence Rothbort. Paul Gatling wipes away tears as a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge exonerates him, Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. The Virginia man spent nearly a decade in prison after being wrongly convicted of murdering an artist in Brooklyn in 1963. At the request of Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, a New York judge on Monday vacated the conviction of 81-year-old Gatling for the 1963 shooting death of Lawrence Rothbort.

By Associated Press May 2, 2016 3 min read

NEW YORK – A Virginia man who spent almost 10 years in prison for a New York City slaying he was pressured to plead guilty to over 50 years ago was back in court on Monday – to hear a judge finally vacate the conviction.

At the request of a prosecutor, a judge exonerated 81-year-old Paul Gatling for the 1963 shooting death of Lawrence Rothbort in his Brooklyn home. In doing so, the judge apologized and Gatling hugged his crying ex-wife and a friend.

“There’s a lot of water gone under the bridge, but the bridge is still standing,” Gatling said after the court proceeding.

Gatling, a retired landscaper, had asked the prosecutor’s Conviction Review Unit to look into his case, which led to the decision to ask for the exoneration over how the investigation had been handled and the fairness of the trial.

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said Gatling was a remarkable man. “We’re here because Mr. Gatling would not let go of his demand to be deemed innocent.”