A man who was freed from prison after spending 30 years behind bars for a crime he didn't commit has given his thoughts on the modern world.
Gordon Cordeiro was convicted back in 1994 in connection to the shooting death of Timothy Blaisdell.
A Crime He Didn't Commit
The crime happened during a drug deal robbery on the island of Maui, and Cordeiro was later found guilty of robbery, attempted murder, and murder.
He was sentenced to life in prison - without the possibility of parole, per Sky News.
From day one, he denied any involvement. But it wasn’t until the Hawaii Innocence Project took up his case that things started to change.
Earlier this month, a hearing was held where the legal team argued that not only had Cordeiro’s previous attorney been ineffective, but there had also been prosecutorial misconduct.
Then came the game-changer: new DNA evidence.
The Hawaii Innocence Project revealed that fresh testing on physical evidence from the crime scene completely excluded Cordeiro as a match.
Instead, they found an unidentified person’s DNA on Blaisdell’s body and other key evidence.
That revelation was enough for the judge to vacate Cordeiro’s convictions and order for him to be set free.
Returning To Society - What's Changed?
After spending 30 years locked away, stepping back into society was surreal.
And for Cordeiro, it wasn’t the towering buildings, electric cars, or even the internet that hit him first - it was the fact that no one seemed to look up from their phones.
"I’m not staring at it yet. It keeps beeping and messages coming in, and it’s different," he told the Associated Press.
Still, despite that slightly depressing realization, he had to give credit where it was due - technology was also the reason he was finally free.
"Thank God for new DNA. Technology is awesome," he said.
The moment Cordeiro was finally released wasn’t just life-changing for him—it was deeply emotional for everyone who fought for his freedom.
Kenneth Lawson, co-director of the Hawaii Innocence Project, described the scene in court: “He cried, we all cried. He believed that he was going to be exonerated ... but having gone through two trials you lose faith in the justice system. To finally hear a judge say ‘I’m vacating your convictions,’ that’s when it hit him.”
After his release, Cordeiro wasted no time in making up for lost moments.
His first stops included visiting his mother’s gravesite, sitting down for a long-overdue steak dinner, and celebrating with his family.
Let's hope Cordeiro enjoys his newfound freedom and doesn't get addicted to his phone like the rest of us!