Kimberly Hanzlik freed from prison, Bronx 2011 murder conviction tossed

A Bronx pistillate is thankful for her state aft spending astir 14 years successful situation connected a faulty execution conviction.

Instead of eating different situation repast astatine the upstate correctional installation wherever she languished for astir a 4th of her life, Kimberly Hanzlik, 59, volition beryllium down connected Thursday for a existent Thanksgiving repast with her grateful family.

“They’ll person a batch to beryllium thankful for,” said Irving Cohen, the determined lawyer who worked pro bono for 7 years to assistance unafraid her release. “She’s doing truly well. It’s been a agelong clip since I had idiosyncratic released from the court. It’s rather exciting.”

Attorney Irving Cohen (Theodore Parisienne for New York Daily News)

A Bronx justice vacated Hanzlik’s condemnation connected Tuesday aft grounds utilized to necktie her to the execution of a antheral 25 years agone was ruled unreliable.

Hanzlik had been sentenced to 20 years to beingness aft she was convicted successful 2011 for allegedly tipping disconnected her boyfriend, gunman Joseph Meldish, that his intended target, Thomas Brown, was sitting successful a Bronx barroom connected March 21, 1999.

But caller grounds uncovered by the Bronx DA’s bureau brought into uncertainty whether Hanzlik was adjacent astatine the Throggs Neck barroom erstwhile the execution took place.

That wasn’t the lone mistake made that night, according to prosecutors. Thomas Brown wasn’t determination either. The slayer gunned down the incorrect guy. He changeable Brown’s brother, Joseph, by mistake successful beforehand of Joseph’s wife.

Kimberly Hanzlik and gunman Joseph Meldish.

Investigators accidental Meldish wanted to execution Thomas Brown implicit a indebtedness dispute.

According to tribunal documents,  Meldish entered Frenchy’s Tavern and changeable Joseph to decease successful the crowded barroom earlier escaping successful a car driven by David Thiong, a section cause dealer.

The lawsuit went acold for astir a decade, erstwhile Thiong, who was facing cause charges successful Westchester County, agreed to attest against Hanzlik and Meldish.

The getaway operator told detectives that Hanzlik scouted the barroom and came retired and told Meldish wherever his people was sitting.

Frenchy’s connected E. Tremont Ave. successful the Bronx, wherever the execution took spot successful 1999. (Susana Bates for New York Daily News)

Hanzlik was convicted successful 2011 of second-degree murder.

Seven years later, caller grounds surfaced, with an unsealed transcript of the getaway driver’s blameworthy plea casting uncertainty connected Hanzlik’s participation.

The execution victim’s wife, Eileen Brown, ne'er mentioned immoderate suspicious pistillate lookout until she met with detectives successful 2007, 8 years aft the shooting.

Bernadette Brown (far left), parent of execution unfortunate Joseph Brown, is pictured with different household members leaving Bronx Supreme Court aft the sentencing of mob hitman Joseph Meldish connected Oct. 18, 2011. (Viorel Florescu for New York Daily News)

“I’ve been moving connected this lawsuit for 7 years,” Cohen said. “It meant a batch to me. No 1 could recognize however the condemnation was inactive successful effect.”

Despite the injustice, Cohen said Hanzlik remained a exemplary prisoner, grooming work dogs for constabulary departments.

He said Hanzlik, a Bronx Hall of Science graduate, developed a cause wont that enactment her successful with the incorrect crowd, including Meldish, a reputed mob hitman.

Kimberly Hanzlik successful a Bronx courthouse successful 2011. (Victor Chu for New York Daily News)

On Tuesday, a justice vacated the conviction, dismissed the indictment, sealed the lawsuit and freed her from prison.

“Ms. Hanzlik served 13 years successful situation based connected proceedings grounds that would not conscionable today’s threshold of credibility fixed the find of caller information, which casts uncertainty connected the integrity of her conviction, and we cannot basal by it,” said Bronx DA Darcel Clark.

Cohen, who said helium would question compensation from the authorities connected Hanzlik’s behalf, said his lawsuit and her household are elated.

“She walked retired into the thoroughfare for the archetypal clip successful 14 years,” Cohen said. “It makes maine consciousness bully astir what I’ve done.”

Originally Published: November 27, 2024 astatine 4:07 PM EST