Torres: Emotions flood reunion 23 years after prison nightmare ripped Melbourne family apart

Yahoo

20-04-2025

Jeff Abramowski reached out his hand moments after being escorted by a Brevard County Sheriff's deputy from incarceration into the lobby of the county jail where family members were eagerly waiting for him.
"John," he said softly, his voice tinged with emotion. "I owe you my life. I do."
He doesn't, of course. He will never owe me anything. I'm just glad to have played a part in his 23-year quest for freedom. I took a deep dive into Abramowski's case for season 4 of FLORIDA TODAY's podcast, "Murder on the Space Coast: Where Justice Lies."
The investigation led me to believe that Abramowski was not only an innocent man, but one who had been railroaded, framed for the 2002 murder of 78-year-old Cortney "Dick" Crandall in his Palm Shores mobile home.
Brevard attorney Kevin McCann listened to the podcast and agreed, embarking on a six-year quest to clear Abramowski's name. His hard work culminated this week in Circuit Judge Steve Henderson's courtroom when the judge approved a motion ― with no opposition from the state ― to vacate Abramowski's conviction and life sentence after new DNA testing of the murder weapons all but excluded him from ever handling them.
The state has not dropped charges against Abramowski, and for now, is proceeding as if they plan to retry him. They shouldn't. However, both sides agreed that bond would be appropriate and Henderson set bond for $50,000, making Friday's release possible.
On Good Friday afternoon, Abramowski took his first steps as a free man in 23 years.
'I love all of you,' he gushed to his family who waited for him in the lobby of the jail, sharing emotional, tear-filled hugs with his daughter, Jamie LeBlanc, and his son, Jesse Abramowski. 'Thank you everybody for believing in me. It's a feeling you could never imagine, surrounded by the people I love the most."
Addressing the media outside, Abramowski thanked McCann ― who he called the "greatest attorney on the planet," State Attorney Will Scheiner and Henderson. He also said during those 23 years behind bars, there were times when his mind took him to some dark places.
'I would lay in my prison cell night after night and start to feel sorry for myself and thought this can't be the rest of my life. I'm just glad to be free after 23 years,' Abramowski. 'I've been praying that my innocence would be proven one day. I knew one day it would work out.'
Abramowski was convicted in 2006 of killing Crandall four years earlier. Abramowski had become addicted to opioids after sustaining serious injuries during a car wreck taking his kids to school. Police said his motive was to steal drugs and that Crandall was selling Oxycontin. According to investigators, Crandall would take addicts, like Abramowski and others, doctor shopping for prescriptions. He would then pay them back with pills and keep some for himself to sell.
Abramowski said the county jail inmates applauded as he made his way from lockup to freedom, having seen his story on the television news.
But Friday was not about dwelling on the past, it was a day for celebrating. What ensued was a steak dinner at Texas Roadhouse, followed by talk of going fishing, boating and of course, attending his grandsons' basketball games.
So, you might be wondering what a man might order as his first drink and meal after decades behind bars.
How about a tall, ice-cold glass of milk, followed by a steak.
"I haven't had a real piece of beef in 23 years," Abramowski said, smiling, happy to learn his daughter had stocked her home ― where he will be staying ― with a 12-pack of Diet Dr. Pepper, his favorite soda.
McCann's journey to free Abramowski and clear his name started in 2019 when someone asked McCann if he would simply review the case. The lawyer agreed. That was the year Abramowski was featured on our Murder on the Space Coast podcast.
The first thing McCann did was listen to the podcast. But he didn't stop there. He reviewed all available Brevard County Sheriff's Office records, case reports, recorded interviews, and evidence. He also reviewed all available court records, testimony, transcripts, and evidence from hearings, trials, appeals, and post-conviction motions, which included reviews of the medical examiner's reports and the DNA reports provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Once he was convinced Abramowski had not committed the murder, McCann then started his own murder investigation. He re-interviewed numerous prior witnesses, newly-developed witnesses, a key homicide detective in the case and a prosecutor.
"I interviewed the primary alternate suspect, conducted proactive surveillance, travelled out of state on multiple occasions for important investigative activity, and facilitated the DNA testing of the murder weapons," McCann said.
"As a result of my investigation, I identified several critical mistakes that I believe lead to the wrongful targeting, investigation, prosecution, and conviction of Mr. Abramowski. I also identified multiple items of exculpatory evidence that contradicts the initial murder investigation and prosecution. As a result of these findings, I was confident that the Brevard County State Attorney's office would be interested in cooperating with me in my efforts to seek justice for Mr. Abramowski."
The DNA testing McCann fought for was what gave Abramowski this victory. DNA testing on the claw hammer and clothing iron used to bludgeon Crandall to death showed at least two unknown profiles — one of which absolutely excludes Abramowski and the other is a likely exclusion. This means two people other than Abramowski were handling the hammer and iron, Scheiner said in court on April 17.
With Abramowski now free on bond but the charges still active, McCann will start prepping for a trial that I think will never take place.
"We will prepare as much as we need to prepare but I do expect that the case will be dismissed. I don't think there's any credible evidence to prosecute Mr. Abramowski," McCann said.
There were lots of red flags in this case from the beginning, including other people who seemed like they should have been far more obvious suspects.
The first red flag was that the sheriff's office always claimed the motive behind Crandall's murder was to steal drugs. But when Crandall's body was discovered, he was found with 200 Oxycontin pills and about $90 on him. If an addict went to the trouble of killing someone for their drugs, would they leave so many behind?
Crandall was also clutching hair belonging to his live-in girlfriend Judy Foley, who mysteriously left town in the middle of the night with no money and no real explanation for her sudden trip to Alabama. That was red flag number two.
Foley was found in Alabama with a piece of custom-made jewelry belonging to Crandall that had been gifted to him by his daughter, who told police that her dad would never have given it away. In fact, Crandall, afraid Foley would steal it one day, had previously notified local pawn shops to alert him if the jewelry ever showed up. Red Flag number three.
A week before he was murdered, Crandall was attacked and given a black eye by Foley's son Bruce. According to the investigation, this was done in retaliation for Crandall trying to have Bruce Foley beaten up previously. Oh yeah, and Crandall was pretty peeved at Bruce Foley for supposedly stealing 150 Oxycontin pills from him. Red flag number four.
During this time, Crandall also wanted Judy's sister, Rita Akridge, to pay pack $5,000 he had loaned her. Before dating Judy, Crandall had dated Rita. Now, according to testimony in the case, Crandall started following her in his car. A few days before Crandall was murdered, he drove to Akridge's Indian Harbour Beach apartment and started screaming in the street. He threatened to dismember Akridge's dog if she didn't pay him back. Red flag number five.
Sounds like a real swell bunch, doesn't it? It also sounds like a bunch of people who had reason for wanting Crandall dead.
When sheriff's detectives caught up with Akridge and Judy and Bruce Foley in Alabama three days after they left Brevard County, the trio couldn't tell investigators when they left. One said Thursday, another Friday and another Saturday. Seriously.
I've lost count of red flags but there's more.
They also couldn't agree on why they left Brevard with no money in the middle of the night. Bruce Foley said it was to turn himself in to Alabama authorities where he had an outstanding warrant, while Akridge said it was to visit her son's grave.
Investigators didn't understand why Bruce Foley would pack all of his clothes in two suitcases if he was turning himself into the jail. They also questioned him about the multiple scratch marks on his face and head. But he had no real explanation.
Even stranger was the response when investigators informed Judy Foley that the 78-year-old Crandall was dead. Investigators never said he was murdered. She didn't ask what happened, but just kept yelling that her son, Bruce, had nothing to do with it.
Did I mention that Bruce Foley's blood was found in the trap of the bathroom sink in Crandall's mobile home?
The only thing, seriously, that all three midnight sojourners to Alabama agreed upon was that investigators should look at Jeff Abramowski. They knew Abramowski because he was friends with Crandall and being an addict, he would pill shop for Crandall.
I've heard recordings of these interviews and they would be hilarious had a murder not been committed and an innocent man sent to prison for 23 years.
It's hard to imagine even the most poorly trained homicide investigators in the world buying the malarky that the Alabama three were feeding them, but Brevard Sheriff's investigators Carlos Reyes and Gary Harrell came back to Brevard and started trying to build a case against Abramowski.
Akridge and Judy Foley have since died, and Bruce Foley lives in Alabama.
Abramowski's first trial ended in a mistrial because prosecutor Rob Parker told the jury that Abramowski had confessed to an inmate named Robert Ochala, and he was going to testify during the trial and never did.
I tracked Ochala down in 2018 while he was in prison and he told me that Brevard County detectives convinced him to testify and fed him details about Crandall's murder. In exchange he said they told him they would try to help with a sentencing he was facing. He gave them a taped statement.
But when it came time to testify, Ochala said he told investigators he changed his mind and wasn't going to do it.
I don't often give a lot of weight to jailhouse testimonies or admissions like Ochala's, except that in this case, another inmate, Richard Mair (since deceased), gave a notarized statement dated May 1, 2006, that said Harrell tried to solicit his help and fed him information about the crime as well.
"He said that he would help me get off of my charges if I would help him convict Mr. Abramowski," Mair said in part. "Detective Gary Harrell told me specific information like the murder weapon and how the guy died."
Weeks before his second trial was to begin, Abramowski was approached by a private attorney who convinced him to let her defend him. Trouble is she was suffering from mental illness and was not taking her medication. She was delusional in her abilities, having never tried a murder case before.
Abramowski was found guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.
He's spent 23 years behind bars, missing seeing his two children grow up and the birth of two grandchildren.
But all that seemed like just a nightmare late Friday when Jeff got to lie down on his own bed and new mattress in his own private room for the first time in 23 years. It didn't stay private for long.
A kitty named "Teddy" promptly lurched up onto the bed and plopped itself on Jeff's belly for the night.
Contact Torres at [e-mail]. You can follow him on X @johnalbertorres or on Facebook at facebook.com/FTjohntorres.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 'A feeling you could never imagine': Melbourne man freed after 23 years