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A Brooklyn man who spent 30 years in prison the murder of a Hofstra University coach was forced to confess after a torturous 14-hour session where he was deprived of water and access to an attorney, an explosive new lawsuit claims.
Christopher Ellis, 55, was threatened separation from his newborn son and denied basics during the session before he agreed to sign a confession that was written by detectives, according to his lawsuit, which was filed last week.
He later recanted his signed statements, which were found to have several completely made-up details about the shooting that were unsupported by any evidence and contradicted by witnesses — but was still convicted of second-degree murder in 1993 for the fatal shooting of Joseph Healy, a 25-year-old assistant football coach for Hofstra, outside a Hempstead Arby’s in September 1990.
“I lost more than 30 years of my life for something I did not do,” Ellis said in a statement issued through his attorneys. “You can’t give that time back.
“I missed decades with my family, milestones, and opportunities I will never get again,” he went on. “I’m bringing this case to seek accountability and to help ensure this does not happen to anyone else.”
Nassau cops originally arrested Ellis in February 1991 for an unrelated attempted robbery in Freeport, which he confessed to, the lawsuit read.
But after he came clean about the stick-up, detectives continued to hold and question him about the unsolved Healy killing, according to the suit.
The complaint claims multiple Nassau detectives not only coerced Ellis’s confession but also buried more than 300 pages of police files pointing to at least 11 other murder suspects and four separate confessions to the crime — evidence that was never turned over to the defense.
A single eyewitness identification — which the suit alleges was itself tainted by detectives showing the witness a photo of Ellis hours before a lineup — was the only other evidence against him at trial, according to court docs.
His conviction was vacated in 2021 after a judge found detectives had concealed a witness who repeatedly told them Ellis was not at the scene.
Nassau County then retried him and he was found not-guilty in January 2025 after a new trial.
“This case represents a complete breakdown of the criminal justice system in Nassau County,” said Ilann M. Maazel, Ellis’ attorney.
“It’s scary how police can concoct a murder charge against an innocent man. We look forward to holding all of these defendants responsible for their role in this appalling case.”
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