Falsely Sentenced for 30 Years – Now He’s Hunting the Real Killer

Gordon Cordeiro is back in his hometown of Makawao, Maui, after spending 30 years in prison for a crime he says he did not commit. The place looks different. New roads and houses have replaced the open countryside he remembers. People walk around glued to their phones. For Gordon, life outside feels strange. He is now 51 years old, but he went to prison at just 20.

Falsely Sentenced

In 1994, police arrested Gordon for the murder of Timothy Blaisdell. Someone shot Timothy in the head during a drug deal gone wrong. Authorities also accused Gordon of plotting to kill a witness while he was in jail. He was sentenced to life in prison. But he always said he was innocent.

Investigators discovered new DNA evidence on Timothy’s jeans. It didn’t match Gordon or the victim. This evidence proved Gordon wasn’t the killer and showed his sentence was unjust. A judge overturned his conviction and ordered his release. But his fight isn’t over—prosecutors are still pushing to send him back to prison.

The Hawaii Innocence Project, which helps wrongly convicted individuals, now supports Gordon. They aim to find the real killer using a cutting-edge DNA technique that helped catch the Golden State Killer. This process traces family trees to identify a match for the unknown DNA. Gordon hopes it will bring justice for Timothy’s family and himself, proving his wrongful conviction.

The Murder in 1994

Timothy went to a remote area known as Skid Row to buy marijuana. He had $800 in cash. Hours later, his body was found at the bottom of a ravine. He had been shot in the head. His money was gone. Investigators suspected Michael Freitas, the man who went with Timothy to the drug deal. But Freitas kept changing his story. At first, he said he never saw Timothy that day. Later, he said he saw Gordon kill him.

A Broken Justice System

Gordon and Timothy knew each other from high school. But Gordon did not know Freitas well. Gordon also had an alibi. He was home with his family when the murder happened. Despite this, police arrested him. At first, a jury could not decide if he was guilty. But at his second trial, several jailhouse informants testified against him. They claimed Gordon tried to hire them to kill Freitas. This time, the jury found him guilty. He was sentenced to life without parole even though he was falsely sentenced.

Life in Prison

Gordon’s time in prison was difficult. In his first years behind bars, he struggled to accept what happened. But he kept himself busy with carpentry work to stay out of trouble. His family suffered too: mother and grandfather died shortly after his arrest. His relatives spent years traveling to visit him in prison. They never gave up on him.

The Fight for Freedom

In 2010, the Hawaii Innocence Project took on Gordon’s case. Lawyer Kenneth Lawson said he knew Gordon was innocent after reading about the trial. The group believes Freitas lied about what happened. They say Freitas and another person planned to rob Timothy. But something went wrong, and Timothy was killed. Freitas later blamed Gordon.

New Evidence Changes Everything

DNA found inside Timothy’s pocket belonged to someone else. This was important because the killer likely reached into the pocket to steal Timothy’s money. The Innocence Project spent $100,000 on DNA testing. They also found new evidence, including witness confessions and gunshot residue reports. The judge ruled that this new information could have changed the jury’s decision. In February 2024, she overturned Gordon’s conviction. He walked out of court a free man.

Adjusting to a New Life

Since his release, Gordon has been spending time with his family. He visited his mother’s grave. He also struggles to adjust to modern life. Technology has changed, and he is learning how to use a smartphone. But he remains hopeful.

Even though Gordon is free after being falsely sentenced, he still wants to find the real killer. He wants closure for himself and for Timothy’s family. He believes the new DNA investigation will lead to answers. The Hawaii Innocence Project has promised to keep working until the truth comes out.

Gordon spent 30 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit. Now, he is looking forward to a new chapter in life. But the battle for justice is not over. He hopes that one day, the real killer will be found, and he can finally put the past behind him.