Home / Crime and Justice / NY Cold Case: Wrong Men Jailed, Real Killer Still Free?
NY Cold Case: Wrong Men Jailed, Real Killer Still Free?
14 Nov
Summary
- Two teens wrongly convicted for a schoolgirl's 1994 murder.
- Howard Gombert is a suspect, but never charged in the cases.
- Acquitted men received millions for wrongful imprisonment.
In 1994, 12-year-old Josette Wright vanished in Putnam County, New York. Her remains were discovered in November 1995. In April 1995, 17-year-old Robin Murphy also disappeared in the same county and has never been found.
Andrew Krivak and Anthony DiPippo were arrested in 1996 for Wright's rape and murder. They were convicted in 1997 but later acquitted after appeals revealed issues with the original investigation, including coerced testimony and the potential involvement of Howard Gombert. Gombert, who worked near Murphy's workplace, was identified as a suspect in both cases.
Evidence presented in Krivak's 2023 trial linked Gombert to Murphy's disappearance through DNA found on underwear. Witnesses also placed Wright in Gombert's car on the day she went missing. Despite these connections and Gombert's own alleged confessions to an inmate, he has never been charged in either case.
DiPippo was acquitted in 2016 and Krivak in 2023. Both men received significant financial settlements from Putnam County and New York State for their wrongful imprisonment. Gombert is scheduled for release from prison by January 2027.
