Eric Smokes and David Warren were convicted in 1987 of killing a 71-year-old French tourist. They spent 24 and 20 years in prison, respectively, before being released on parole.
The case was only reopened in 2022. Witness statements were false, contradictory or made under pressure, said prosecutor Alvin Bragg. The men had an alibi that proved they were not in Times Square on the night of the crime, he said. The judge and prosecutor praised the men's fight for their innocence.