During a video interview, Cordeiro shared his reflections on regaining his freedom, recalling how he voiced gratitude to his mother while standing at her grave soon after leaving the Maui Community Correctional Center. “Thanks for looking over me,” he remembered saying, expressing a profound sense of connection despite their separation by time and circumstance. A photograph issued by his sister captured him kneeling at the grave, adorned with a lei gifted to him upon his release, which draped lovingly over the headstone that bears the inscription, “You were the wind beneath our wings.”
Throughout his incarceration, Cordeiro often thought about his mother, who succumbed to ALS at the age of 49. He reminisced about the time spent caring for her and the moments they shared, including building shelves for the family shortly before Blaisdell’s death in a drug-related incident. Following a celebratory steak dinner with family and a visit to his mother’s resting place, he found it difficult to sleep that night, filled with a mix of emotions and excitement for the next day, which he planned to spend visiting other relatives’ graves and planning a trip to Costco. “It feels normal,” he expressed, acknowledging the blend of comfort and adjustment that accompanies newfound freedom.
Cordeiro noted that Maui has changed significantly during his absence, specifically mentioning the devastation left by the wildfire that ravaged Lahaina in 2023. He also remarked on the modern world he has stepped back into, observing the prevalent use of smartphones. Before his imprisonment, he had only carried a pager. Now, equipped with a smartphone, he is still adapting, finding the constant notifications and messages a surprise.
The courtroom erupted in emotion when Judge Kirstin Hamman announced that his sentence was vacated based on the new DNA evidence that could potentially affect any future trials. Maui County’s current Prosecuting Attorney, Andrew Martin, has indicated intentions to appeal the decision and request bail for Cordeiro’s release. Cordeiro’s initial trial resulted in a hung jury, with one juror advocating for his acquittal, but he was later convicted on multiple charges and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Following the conviction, new DNA testing on evidence collected at the crime scene excluded Cordeiro as a potential source of the DNA found on Blaisdell’s body and additional crime scene materials. This advanced testing has been crucial in challenging his conviction, a point that Cordeiro emphasized during the interview. “Thank God for new DNA,” he remarked, expressing his appreciation for modern technology’s role in his freedom.
This interview marked Cordeiro’s first experience using Zoom or an iPad outside prison walls. Additionally, he received an outreach from Ian Schweitzer, another individual recently released after serving over 20 years for a crime he maintains he did not commit. The two have shared a history of support, having met previously in prison and followed each other’s legal journeys. “We were both living in the same prison, so we kept up with each other as the process was going,” Cordeiro recalled fondly.
With newfound freedom ahead of him, Cordeiro shared plans to start repairing cars, assist with his father’s home, and possibly contribute back to his community. There’s an air of optimism as he embarks on this next chapter of his life, filled with hopes and aspirations for the future.
