Jan 2, 2008 11:40 pm US/Eastern
Suffolk DA To Drop Charges Against Tankleff
Man Spent 17 Years In Prison For Murder Of His Parents
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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Martin Tankleff was convicted in 1990 of killing his parents in their Belle Terre, Long Island home.
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Martin Tankleff addresses the media after a judge granted a $1 million personal recognizance bond, paving the way to his freedom after 17 years in prison.
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Martin Tankleff smiles after hugging a relative following his release from prison.
CBS
Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J. Spota says murder charges will be dropped against Martin Tankleff, the man convicted of murdering his parents in 1988 before having that conviction overturned last month, CBS 2 has learned.
"It is no longer possible to reasonably assert that the case ... would be successful," Spota said.
Tankleff, 36, was released from prison on $1 million bond on Dec. 27 after spending 17 years behind bars. Spota will officially pull the indictment on Jan. 18 in Riverhead.
Tankleff was just 17 when he found the bodies of his mother and father, Arlene and Seymor Tankleff, bludgeoned and stabbed in their lavish Belle Terre home. But after being falsely told by a detective that his father, who was in a coma at the time of the investigation, had awoken and implicated his son, Tankleff confessed to the murders, but then immediately recanted his words. He also refused to sign a written statement and maintained his innocence over the years.
"It's like having an 18-wheeler driving on your chest, and you believe the only way to get that weight to get off your chest is to tell the police whatever they want to hear," Tankleff told '48 Hours' reporter Erin Moriarty in a past interview
Still, a jury found Tankleff guilty on the strength of the initial confession.
The case broke with the help of a Catholic nun -- a prison chaplain who was a confidante of the confessed getaway driver for the alleged real killers.
Tankleff's defense team was able to have his conviction overturned after they built a compelling new case presenting the new evidence against three other men who his attorneys believe were behind the murders, including Seymour Tankleff's former business partner.
Members of his family stood behind him during his years in prison, and welcomed him with open arms when he was released.
"My arrest and conviction was a nightmare, and this is a dream come true," an elated Tankleff said after his release. "I always had faith this day would come and I look forward to welcoming in the new year with my family."
Questions immediately surfaced as to whether Tankleff's legal counsel would pursue a new trial to clear his name for good.
"As long as these charges hang over him, Marty's not done. We're gonna work for the day that he's completely vindicated," one of his attorneys said at the time of his release.
Spota also announced he will ask Gov. Eliot Spitzer to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate claims made by Tankleff and his defense attorneys that Seymour Tankleff's business associate or others may have been involved in the killings.
Stay with wcbstv.com and CBS 2 for the latest in this developing story.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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