Years before Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce’s birth, his father, Jeffrey Koonce, spent time in prison for an armed robbery conviction that is now being questioned due to tainted evidence and questionable police practices. Jeffrey Koonce is seeking to vacate his 1981 conviction for a robbery at Vernon Stars Rod and Gun Club in Mount Vernon, where he has maintained his innocence. The Westchester County District Attorney, Mimi Rocah, is supporting his request after an investigation revealed misconduct in the case.
The Conviction Review Unit found that Mount Vernon police pressured a witness to implicate Koonce, manipulated photo identification procedures, and failed to interview alibi witnesses. A detective involved in the case was later found to have lied about the photo arrays, leading to changes in identification practices. Rocah stated that Koonce’s conviction was marred by questionable investigative methods, prompting the request for dismissal.
Koonce, represented by attorney Karen Newirth, is scheduled to appear before a judge to seek the dismissal of his convictions. The case, dating back 41 years, has been deemed an injustice by Newirth, who praised Rocah’s office for pursuing justice for Koonce. Koonce served time in prison for the robbery and bail jumping charges before being released on parole in 1992.
Malcolm Koonce, born in 1998, was drafted by the NFL’s Raiders in 2021. His father, Jeffrey, and brother, Paul, were accused of the robbery in 1981, with Jeffrey facing charges and Paul being acquitted. Dubious tactics were used to identify Koonce as the shooter, with witnesses citing poor visibility in the club at the time of the crime.
Overall, the case highlights the importance of fair investigative practices and the pursuit of justice, as efforts are made to correct past injustices and exonerate those wrongfully convicted.
The witness later informed Rocah’s office that he did not recall seeing any faces in the dimly lit club and that other patrons quickly shielded him from view after the shooting occurred. Detectives subsequently escorted Koonce to the hospital where the witness was receiving treatment in order for the witness to make an in-person identification. During a pretrial hearing, the witness expressed feeling pressured to promptly identify Koonce. The trial judge characterized this approach as “impermissibly suggestive.”
Rocah’s office also determined that Mount Vernon detectives had disadvantaged Koonce by neglecting to interview all of his alibi witnesses. Among these witnesses is a retired New York City police detective who affirmed that Koonce had been in his company in the city on the evening of the robbery.
