Man who served 10 years for 1964 NYC killing cleared of crime
A Virginia man who spent a decade in prison after pleading guilty to a New York City slaying over 50 years ago was cleared of the crime Monday.
At the request of a prosecutor, a judge vacated the conviction of 81-year-old Paul Gatling for the 1963 shooting death of Lawrence Rothbort. In doing so, the judge apologized and Gatling hugged his crying ex-wife and a friend.
“There’s a lot of water gone under the bridge, but the bridge is still standing,” Gatling said after the court proceeding.
The prosecutor asked that the conviction be vacated after Gatling, a retired landscaper, asked the prosecutor’s Conviction Review Unit to look into his case.