The man responsible for the murder of NYPD Officer Anthony Dwyer, who was thrown from the roof of a Times Square building 35 years ago, is about to face his third parole hearing. This situation has plunged the Dwyer family into what they describe as a “nightmare,” pitted against a prominent law firm representing Matos who is also linked to another police killing.
Eddie Matos, who killed Officer Dwyer back in October 1989, has been granted multiple chances for parole with assistance from attorney Isaac Zawl of Claric Gaelon Raysbaum, a Madison Avenue firm.
“It’s like living in a bad joke; a real nightmare,” shared Maureen Brissett, Dwyer’s sister, as she prepared to testify alongside her brothers and their elderly mother at the State Department of Corrections. “I can’t grasp how he is getting this opportunity, especially with such powerful lawyers backing him.”
On October 17, 1989, Dwyer, who was just 23, responded to a robbery call at a McDonald’s. Upon reaching the scene, Matos fled to the roof. Brissett recounted that as her brother reached the top, Matos kicked him, sending him off the edge while he struggled to regain consciousness.
Dwyer fell 40 feet and later succumbed to his injuries at Bellevue Hospital. Matos, now 57, received a life sentence of 25 years in 1990 for second-degree murder. Despite being denied parole numerous times, he remains incarcerated at the Green Haven Correctional Facility.
Zawl’s firm claims extensive experience in various legal fields, including representing parole applicants. Notably, they had a hand in getting a former inmate, convicted of killing a police officer in 1981, released after four decades.
Matos was denied parole in April 2023, but the following year he appealed. His next hearing is set for this month, and even if denied, another hearing is scheduled later in the year. Zawl has even managed to alter the official record regarding Matos’s actions leading up to Dwyer’s death.
Matos has expressed confusion over his continuous denials for parole, arguing for changes in the state’s parole system and emphasizing rehabilitation for inmates.
Brissett, reflecting on her brother’s murder, expressed disbelief at efforts to release Matos. “It feels as though we’re bartering my brother’s life to strangers,” she lamented, underscoring the emotional toll the process has taken on their family.
Her mother, Marge Dwyer, echoed her frustration, stating she wants Matos to remain in prison for life. “I pray that will be the case,” she added, emphasizing her struggle with the situation.
Patrick Hendry, chairman of the Patrolmen’s Merciful Association, labeled the law firm as “professional criminals,” criticizing their influence in these cases.
Zawl did not respond to requests for comment.
