His case garnered considerable attention from the media ten years after his conviction, due to a long-term investigation by Dateline NBC producer Dan Slepian[1][2] and celebrity support from actor Martin Sheen,[3] actress Alfre Woodard,[4] music executive Jason Flom,[5] and entertainment company Roc Nation.

[7] Retired NYPD officer Albert Ward was murdered during an attempted robbery of his illegal gambling establishment in Harlem, New York on January 27, 1998.

[11] In response to the DA's unwillingness to further pursue his bid for innocence, on May 2, 2013 his legal council officially files a motion 440 with the court in New York City.

[13] On June 27, 2017, Velazquez once again entered a 440 motion due to newly discovered documents that were never provided by the District Attorney's office to his original defense.

[14] Velazquez co-stars with Colman Domingo, Paul Raci, and Clarence Maclin in the A24 prison drama that follows a group of incarcerated men who find purpose in acting in theater productions.

[16] "Voices From Within" is operated under a public domain license currently used by politicians as a tool to approach issues of gun violence in New York City.

"We are elated that JJ Velazquez, a man who has spent more than two decades in prison for a crime he didn't commit, will finally be going home.

"[19] On October 18, 2022, President Joe Biden sat down with Velazquez to discuss criminal legal reform in part of NowThis's presidential forum.

The Office joined in Velazquez's request to vacate the conviction and moved to dismiss the indictment in the interest of justice based on newly discovered DNA evidence.