The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office reversed the convictions of Charles Collins and Brian Boles for the murder of 85-year-old James Reid in 1994 after they spent decades in prison for a crime they didn’t commit. Their convictions were based on lies told by detectives, withheld evidence, and police coercion.

Boles spent 30 years in prison before being released on parole in 2024. Mr. Collins, fearful of also losing at trial, took a plea and served 23 years in prison before being released on parole in 2017.

“Charles Collins and Brian Boles served significant time in prison and suffered the devastating consequences of their unjust convictions for decades. We cannot undo the harm to their lives, but it is never too late to do what is

right,” said Alvin Bragg, chief of the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.

Judge Ruth Pickholz dismissed the indictments against Boles and Collins after a joint request from prosecutors and attorneys from the Innocence Project, who represent Boles, and attorneys from Ropes & Gray, who represent Collins.

Police only eyed Boles as a suspect after he and Mr. Collins were arrested for an unrelated robbery. Both boys were 17-year-old teenagers when they were taken into custody. Boles is now 48, and Collins is now 49.

There was no evidence linking Boles to the murder, but detectives decided the two cases were connected. 

After two days of intense questioning during which he was handcuffed to a chair and sleep-deprived, Boles was repeatedly lied to, threatened, and physically and verbally abused until, scared and wanting to go home, he told police that he and Mr. Collins had committed the murder. 

Over several more hours, police fed Boles more details about the crime, which he then repeated back to police and resulted in his “confession.” Collins was subjected to similarly coercive interrogation tactics and also falsely admitted guilt to the murder.