NY NY - Seymour, 62, & Arlene Tankleff, 52, Belle Terre, LI, 7 Sept 1988

[nanandjim]

Out of prison for the first time in 17 years, Martin Tankleff tasted freedom -- literally -- at a post-release soiree where loved ones caught up on old times and speculated about his future.

snip

Arlene and Seymour Tankleff were attacked on Sept. 7, 1988. Martin Tankleff, then 17, confessed to police -- and then recanted. He was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and was released on bail until his trial in 1990, where a jury convicted him of the crimes.

Tankleff was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison.

But Thursday, six days after a state appellate panel overturned that conviction, Tankleff walked out of Suffolk County Court a free man, at least for now.

snip

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-litank1227,0,5165660.story?coll=ny-leadnationalnews-headlines

What does everyone think about this??? If anyone knows the story, who do you think did it? Do you believe Tankleff is innocent?

I've always thought that this boy was railroaded and that one of his father's business partners (the one that owed him money) was responsible. I'm glad that he won't be retried.

 

[nanandjim]

I am not familiar with the case but if all they had was a possibly coerced confession from a 17 yo??
Seems the Appellate court thought something in the trial was mis-handled.

It is a fact that certain personalities will confess to crimes they did not commit. It is also easy to coerce someone so young into confessing especially if the police used strong arm tactics.

He withdrew his confession almost immediately and would not sign the confession. This boy was railroaded, IMO. IIRC, the father's business partner fled town right after the murders. This guy owed the father several hundred thousand dollars. He's the one with the motive, not the boy who was extraordinarily close to his father.

 

[csds703]

BY ALFONSO A. CASTILLO | alfonso.castillo@newsday.com 3:57 PM EDT, May 9, 2008
The Suffolk judge who was considering a pair of legal motions involving murder charges against Martin Tankleff agreed to recuse himself Friday after defense attorneys argued that he had a conflict of interest.

Suffolk County Court Judge James Hudson is presiding over a grand jury that is considering evidence in the 1988 murders of Tankleff's parents, Seymour and Arlene Tankleff, who were beaten and slashed to death in their Belle Terre home.

Tankleff was convicted of the murders in 1990, but an appellate court overturned his verdict in December, saying a lower court judge did not properly consider new evidence that Seymour Tankleff's business partner may have been behind the killings.

Prosecutors with the state attorney general's office, which took over the case from the Suffolk district attorney in January, have been presenting evidence to a grand jury. Tankleff's lawyers last week filed two motions to Hudson looking for more information regarding the grand jury -- including whether it was considering evidence against Martin Tankleff and whether it had been "tainted" by hearing other cases presented by Suffolk prosecutors.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffolk/ny-litank0510,0,3620648.story

 

[Taximom]

Prosecutors won't retry Tankleff for murders
http://wcbstv.com/local/martin.tankleff.hofstra.2.760086.html

 

[Bobbisangel]

Prosecutors won't retry Tankleff for murders
http://wcbstv.com/local/martin.tankleff.hofstra.2.760086.html

That is good because I don't think he is guilty. I wonder who really murdered the parents?

 

[christine2448]

Thanks for the update! I think this is awesome.

 

[songline]

Justice for Marty Tankleff

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2009/01/07/segments/120321

 

[songline]

A TRUE STORY OF A FALSE CONFESSION

http://www.martytankleff.org/Gui/Content.aspx?Page=Home2

 

[songline]

NY attorneys prepare Tankleff lawsuit
March 24 2009
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. - Attorneys for Martin Tankleff say they're preparing a lawsuit accusing law enforcers of civil rights violations. The Long Island man spent 17 years in prison after what he called a coerced confession to killing his wealthy parents.

An appellate court ruled in December 2007 that key evidence was overlooked. Prosecutors decided not to retry Tankleff.

Attorney Bruce Barket told Newsday that Tankleff will seek about $35 million. :clap::clap::clap:

Government attorney Christine Malafi says Suffolk County will vigorously defend itself.

Tankleff's parents were found on Sept. 7, 1988 in their home in Belle Terre, a well-to-do waterfront enclave. Arlene Tankleff was bludgeoned. Seymour Tankleff was stabbed and died about a month later.

Tankleff's attorneys plan to file the federal suit Tuesday in Central Islip.

 

[songline]

Panelists detail how the press, gov’t failed Martin Tankleff

The Press Club of Long Island, the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, featured Rick Firstman and Robert Gottlieb on a panel to review the media’s role in the case of Martin Tankleff. The event was held at Newsday’s headquarters in Melville, NY. The goal of the evening was to answer the question, “Did the press help railroad an innocent man.”
On Sept. 7, 1988, when 17-year-old “Marty” called 911 to alert the authorities that his mother, Arlene, had been brutally murdered and his dad, Seymour, was barely alive, little did he know he would be the prime suspect. Even though he and others repeatedly directed the police to Seymour’s business partner, Jerry Steuerman, James McCready, the detective on the case, was determined to convict Marty for this heinous crime. He succeeded.

For 17 years, Marty sat in jail for the death of both his parents (his dad later died) until he found a private detective, Jay Salpeter, who believed in him. Salpeter uncovered new evidence that ultimately led to a judge dropping the murder charges, and on December 28, 2007, Martin Tankleff became a free man.

The debate was on between the panel members who consisted of Firstman, author of “A Criminal Injustice,” a book which outlines the Martin Tankleff story from the night before the murders until when Salpeter commented at a press conference, “Arlene and Seymour, it’s time now that you can finally rest in peace. Your son is home, and he’s home to stay.” Others on the panel included Doug Geed, a News 12 LI Anchor; Robert Gottlieb, Tankleff’s defense attorney; and Bruce Lambert, a NY Times Reporter. The moderator was Bob Keeler, a member of Newsday’s editorial board.

As each panelist took his turn it was clear that they felt that in some instances during the initial case the reporters did not do their jobs properly.

Firstman revealed, “Like everyone else, I got this image of this psychotic temper tantrum spoiled rich kid who went nuts on his parents one day. When Salpeter came to me with new evidence I was astounded that an innocent man could have been convicted.”

Gottlieb added, “The media latched on to the story that was fed to them … from day one the press regurgitated what the DA and Detectives wanted you to regurgitate. The playing field was hardly level.”

“Law enforcement was using the media as their route to the public and the jury. … There should have been skepticism from the media,” noted Lambert.

Now with the conviction being overturned, “they all want this to go away,” said Geed.

“They are not big enough to say they jumped to a conclusion,” added Gottlieb.

Tantalizing topics such as this are planned for the months ahead by PCLI, the local professional chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. In addition to monthly programs and mixers, membership includes an annual (June 4, 2009) PCLI Media Awards dinner, which honors the best in local journalism, a fun Holiday Party showcasing the singing and witty talents of some of its members, a Media Guide listing all L.I. media and more.


The next PCLI program is “The Future of Journalism on Long Island” on February 5, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Newsday’s lobby auditorium.

The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s largest and most broad-based journalism organization with 60 pro chapters and 250 student chapters totaling 8,700 members nationwide.

The mission of PCLI is to protect and advocate for First Amendment rights and to educate its members through programs such as these. For more information about this program and to keep abreast of future programs, visit www.pcli.org or e-mail chapter president John C. O’Connell at John.PCLI@mac.com.

 

[Steely Dan]

They just reran the 48 Hours from January 2008 and I decided to see what the latest is on Tankleff. I came across this NYT page that has a lot of articles about the case on it; http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/t/martin_tankleff/index.html

IMO, this is a case of LE being extremely lazy. They could wrap it up quickly and forget about it if they tricked a confession from a 17 year old kid. Unfortunately, I doubt the real killers will ever be tried. IMO, it's obvious that his ex partner had a lot to do with it, but it would make the judicial system in that area look really bad if they could prove someone else did it.

Like the West Memphis Three I think this was a convenient way to get out and the real killer will never be tried. JMO

 

[Steely Dan]

http://www.wpix.com/news/local/wpix-tankleff-graduated-051809,0,2731964.story

Martin Tankleff Graduates From Hofstra University
Tankleff, 38, spent 17 years in prison on a conviction that was overturned in 2007 for the 1988 muder of his parents
By LAURA RIVERA | laura.rivera@newsday.com
May 18, 2009

Hempstead, N.Y.— Clad in a black cap and gown, Martin Tankleff looked like any other graduate on the Hofstra University football field, where a blustery wind and light rain quickened the pace of Sunday's commencement.

Yet for Tankleff, 38 - who spent 17 years in prison on a conviction that was overturned in 2007 - the ceremony marked another milestone in a journey to reclaim his life....

 

[Steely Dan]

http://longislandreport.org/feature...kleff-will-fight-for-wrongfully-accused/12269

After 17 years in prison, Tankleff will fight for wrongfully accused
Posted by Domenic Varuzza on Monday, November 21, 2011 ·

...Tankleff made the most of his time in prison. He was able to attend college and work in a law library. Since being freed, he enrolled in law school at Hofstra, where he is currently a student. His goal is to defend the wrongly accused so less people have to experience what he has gone through....

 

[bessie]

Updating this thread and changing the title because Marty Tankleff was exonerated in 2007. His parents' murders remain unsolved.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/nyregion/long-island/29martyli.html?ref=martintankleff&_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/nyregion/20tankleff.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.sohojournal.com/content/tankleff-case-may-be-tip-iceberg

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/t/arlene_tankleff/index.html

CBS News February 11, 2009
Marty Tankleff called 911 after finding his parents viciously stabbed on the morning of Sept. 7, 1988, in their waterfront home on Long Island, N.Y. His mother, Arlene Tankleff, died at the scene; his father, Seymour, was mortally wounded.

"I thought it was a nightmare. I just couldn't believe that this was reality," Marty Tankleff says.

http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500202_162-1175214.html

Posted by Domenic Varuzza on Monday, November 21, 2011
Tankleff spent the next 20 years fighting for his life. He was found guilty of a double murder and sentenced to 50 years to life in prison in 1990. After attempts of appeal all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court were unsuccessful, in 2007, an appellate division of the New York State Supreme Court court voted 4-0 in favor to overturn the Tankleff’s conviction.

http://longislandreport.org/feature...kleff-will-fight-for-wrongfully-accused/12269

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Martin Tankleff gets more than $3.3 million settlement from New York state

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...million-state-article-1.1569119#ixzz2poT4s4dx

 

[fran]

Martin Tankleff settles false imprisonment suit for $3.37M

Since leaving prison, Tankleff has gotten married and moved to Suffolk's South Shore, worked as a paralegal for Barket, got a college degree and attended law school at night. He expects to graduate this year.

Barket said Tankleff's accomplishments in six years of freedom have been "stunning."

Barket said he and his client are now focused on the federal suit, which will focus on claims that Suffolk police botched the death investigation and falsely arrested Tankleff.

County spokeswoman Vanessa Baird-Streeter declined to comment on the settlement or the federal suit against the county.

Barket said recently developed forensic evidence from the crime scene makes even clearer that two people committed the crime.

more at link ................ http://www.newsday.com/long-island/...s-false-imprisonment-suit-for-3-37m-1.6751751

 

[panthera]

Martin Tankleff gets more than $3.3 million settlement from New York state

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...million-state-article-1.1569119#ixzz2poT4s4dx

Although no amount of money can give Martin back the years of his life lost in prison, this is definitely a step in the right direction.

:scale:

MOO

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Good for him! Marty Tankleff earned his law degree this week!


"The Long Island man who spent 17 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of killing his parents has exchanged his prison jumpsuit for a graduation robe."

"Martin Tankleff, 42, was handed his Touro Law Center degree yesterday in Brookville — and was personally congratulated by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman."

"The lawman, on hand to be given an honorary degree, shook Tankleff’s hand after the ceremony."

http://nypost.com/2014/05/25/man-freed-after-wrongful-murder-conviction-earns-law-degree/

 

[0101ABA]

27 years ago. Still waiting and hoping for justice.

RIP Seymour and Arlene

 

[eucalyptuz]

Another payout for exonerated son:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/20/...eff-settlement.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur

Martin Tankleff, who was imprisoned for 17 years after being wrongly convicted of murdering his parents, has reached a $10 million settlement with Suffolk County, N.Y.

The Ways and Means Committee of the Suffolk County Legislature voted Thursday to approve the settlement with Mr. Tankleff, who also reached a $3.4 million settlement with New York State in 2014. Jason Elan, a spokesman for the Suffolk County executive, declined to comment.