After three decades behind bars, Gordon Cordeiro stepped into a world transformed. DNA evidence freed the Hawaii man from a life sentence for a 1994 Maui murder he consistently denied committing. Wrongful conviction appeals led to his release, with Judge Kirstin Hamman citing new forensic results that excluded Cordeiro as the DNA source on victim Timothy Blaisdell.
His first stop? Paulette Cordeiro’s gravesite. Thanks for looking over me, he whispered at her headstone, draping a lei inscribed You were the wind beneath our wings. The emotional moment contrasted sharply with his next challenge: navigating smartphones. It keeps beeping, Cordeiro admitted, recalling his pre-prison pager era.
The Hawaii Innocence Project revealed critical updates:
- New DNA testing excluded Cordeiro from crime scene evidence
- Unidentified DNA found inside Blaisdell’s jeans
- Prosecutors plan appeals despite vacated sentence
Post-release life brings jarring changes. Lahaina’s 2023 wildfire destruction shocked Cordeiro, while Costco runs and sleepless nights marked his early freedom. Fellow exoneree Ian Schweitzer—released in 2023 after 20+ years—reached out to support his transition.
Thank God for new DNA,Cordeiro emphasized during his first Zoom interview.
As Maui County fights his release, Cordeiro focuses on family: repairing cars, assisting his father, and potential community work. His story underscores both DNA evidence’s power and the surreal cultural shifts facing long-term exonerees.