Florida man's murder charge dropped after more than 20 years in prison
Brevard man cleared of murder charges after 23-years behind bars
A Brevard County man is speaking following his release after spending 23 years behind bars on murder charges. FOX 35's Chris Lindsay explains why those charges were dropped and how the man is feeling with this new freedom.
MELBOURNE, Fla. - A Florida man is getting used to life on the outside after spending more than two decades in prison for a murder he didn’t commit.
Learning to adjust to new found freedom
What we know:
Now 62, Jeff Abramowski was released from custody in April after DNA evidence cleared him in the brutal 2000 killing of 78-year-old Cortney Crandall, who was beaten to death with a hammer and an iron in a Melbourne mobile home park. Earlier this week, a judge formally dropped the charges against him, marking a full exoneration.
Abramowski was convicted of Crandall’s murder and spent 23 years in prison. His case was recently reopened when advanced DNA testing revealed evidence that pointed to another suspect, ultimately leading to a judge overturning his conviction. That ruling initially left open the possibility of a retrial, but prosecutors this week dismissed the case altogether.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not named an alternative suspect in Crandall’s murder. For now, the case remains unsolved. Abramowski said he still thinks of the victim often.
The backstory:
When Abramowski was arrested, Nickelback topped the music charts and Nokia dominated the mobile phone market. Since then, the world has changed — culturally, technologically, and legally. In April, the month of his release, Kendrick Lamar held the No. 1 song in the country and iPhones were everywhere.
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For Abramowski, however, time stood still.
His daughter, Jamie LeBlanc, was among those who never gave up on clearing his name.
‘Fully exonerated’
What they're saying:
After more than two decades behind bars, Jeff Abramowski is a free man.
"He’s not a felon. He’s not convicted," said his attorney, Kevin McCann. "He is fully exonerated."
Abramowski shared his reaction when learning he would be released.
"It was like, intoxicating — it really was," Abramowski said. "It felt good. But then again, I still had all that bitterness in me."
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Abramowski was convicted of Cortney Crandall's murder, but his case was recently reopened when advanced DNA testing revealed evidence that pointed to another suspect.
Florida man's murder charge dropped after more than 20 years in prison
State Attorney William Scheiner dropped a second-degree murder charge against Jeffrey C. Abramowski after new DNA evidence and the loss of key witnesses made a retrial impossible. Abramowski was originally convicted in 2006 for the killing of Cortney Crandall and had been serving a life sentence. Abramowski spoke Wednesday afternoon alongside his daughter and attorney.
"My heart goes out to Mr. Crandall’s family. He was a friend of mine," he said. "I hope that one day they do get their justice — to whoever did this."
Jamie LeBlanc, who fought for her father’s release for years, said his freedom marks a turning point.
"I feel like a weight has lifted off my shoulders," she said. "I’ve had to go through a lot of my life without him — fighting for him, and begging and pleading for help."
Abramowski says he’s doing his best not to dwell on what was lost.
"You’re not truly a free man if you’re out there with all that pent-up [anger] in your heart," he said. "So I’m learning to just do the right thing and move on."
What's next:
Though free, Abramowski is still adjusting to a world that has moved on without him. He credits his support system — especially his family — for helping him begin again.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Courts of Florida, Jeff Abramowski, his daughter Jamie LeBlanc, and his attorney, Kevin McCann.