Jamie R. Gomez, convicted at age 25 as the getaway driver in the 1995 gang-related murder of Darrell Wattley Jr. in New London, was released from prison Friday.

His release to a halfway house in Norwich came more than a quarter of a century sooner than Gomez, 48, had expected.

"I've been praying about it," said his mother, Iris Gomez-Lawrence, who had visited her son in prison over the years and urged him to attend church services. "I used to tell him, 'You're going to come home.'"

She and his brother, sister and cousin waited outside the courthouse for Gomez to be fitted with a GPS monitoring bracelet and walk out as a free man. They talked of taking him fishing, playing video games, watching movies and sharing a big family dinner together.

Gomez plans to get a job and spend time with his three children and his grandchildren, his mother said. 

He was found guilty at trial in 1997 and sentenced to 50 years in prison, but his conviction was overturned by the state Supreme Court, which returned the case to the Superior Court for a new trial.

The Supreme Court wrote that the prosecutor at Gomez's trial, Paul Murray, had failed to notify the jury that two key witnesses provided false or misleading testimony.

The state had vowed to try Gomez again, 25 years after the homicide occurred.

But on Friday, Senior Assistant State's Attorney Stephen M. Carney said he is no longer confident the state could prevail at a second trial, having learned that a key witness, James "Tiny" Smith, is dead.

Carney and defense attorney Andrew O'Shea worked out a deal in which Gomez was allowed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree assault in exchange for a 20-year prison sentence.

Since he's already served 24 years, Judge Hillary B. Strackbein released Gomez on a written promise to appear in court for his Nov. 10 sentencing hearing.

She told him he would be monitored intensely prior to the sentencing, ordered him to have no contact with Wattley's family, and said he is prohibited from using drugs or alcohol. She said he would have a 9 p.m. curfew unless the halfway house has an earlier one, and ordered him to quarantine for two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"This is a wonderful situation for you," Strackbein said. "The last thing we want for you is for something to go wrong."

Members of Wattley's family appeared to be struggling to accept what had occurred.

"I'm upset, and I just wish he stayed in jail," said the victim's brother, Jermain Green, outside of the courthouse.

Wattley's oldest sister, Andrean Goode-Ward, said she is at peace with the state's decision not to re-try Gomez.

"I hope he stays out of trouble," she said. "This has been something big for both families. There's no winners."

Wattley, who was 18 when he was killed, is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery.  

Gomez was 22 when, according to court documents and testimony, he accompanied Anthony Booth, Danny Brown and James "Tiny" Smith, members of the 20 Love gang, to 93 State Pier Road on July 13, 1995.

Wattley, who had stabbed Smith at a party days earlier, was shot four times, stabbed four times and had his throat slit.

The state contended Gomez was the getaway driver. Gomez's attorney said he didn't know of a plan to kill Wattley.

At Gomez's trial, Smith, who had faced murder charges of his own, and Angeline Valentin, charged as an accessory to first-degree assault because she had alerted the men that Wattley was going to be at her apartment that night, had agreed to testify for the state in exchange for leniency with their own charges.

Both Valentin and Smith received consideration for their testimony.

Valentin was released on a written promise to appear and allowed to move to New Jersey while her case was pending. The final disposition of her case is unavailable.

Prosecutor Paul Murray recommended a 10-year sentence for Smith, and he ultimately received a 15-month sentence for second-degree manslaughter.

But when questioned during the trial, both Smith and Valentin said they had been promised nothing. Though defense attorneys challenged their statements during cross-examination, the Supreme Court ruling in Gomez's case indicates that prosecutors have the duty to correct such issues even if defense attorneys are aware of them. Prosecutor Paul Murray did not do so during his closing argument to the jury, according to the court records.

Inspector Rhett D'Amico learned of Smith's death after attempting to contact Smith in case he was needed to testify at Gomez's new trial.

Instead of the new trial, Gomez received a second chance at life. Social worker Jozlyn Hall, working with his attorney, created a transitional treatment plan for him that includes the placement at a sober living home and referrals for medical and mental health care, employment services and other social services.

While in prison, Gomez didn't have a disciplinary ticket since 2000, has been a trusted employee of the prison commissary and has been involved in a program called Prison of Peace, his lawyer said.

His family had hoped Gomez would be released in time to attend a celebration of life service scheduled for last month for his 25-year-old disabled daughter, who died suddenly of a heart attack.

The ruling in Gomez's case could have implications for Booth and Brown, who were tried and convicted by the same jury as Gomez. Both men have had their appeals denied and are serving sentences of 60 and 55 years, respectively.

 k.florin@theday.com