But that changed when Tripi returned to court and, in a lengthy statement to U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J.

WSJ: Officials question 2004 Buffalo murder conviction

Tripi's task force believes the two men seen running from the murder scene were 7th Street Gang leader Efrain "Cheko" Hidalgo and Brandon Jonas.

WSJ: Officials question 2004 Buffalo murder conviction

"There's a red herring in this case, " Tripi said in court.

WSJ: Officials question 2004 Buffalo murder conviction

"Additionally, the first person on the scene, the brother of the victims, knows Josue Ortiz and will say he was not one of the people running from the scene, " Tripi said.

WSJ: Officials question 2004 Buffalo murder conviction

"Our evidence would be, your honor, that Josue Ortiz then pled guilty in order to avoid a 50-year to life sentence and now maintains his innocence and that he was wrongfully convicted, " Tripi added.

WSJ: Officials question 2004 Buffalo murder conviction

Tripi believes Ortiz confessed, in part, because he suffers from a mental illness - he is reportedly being treated for schizophrenia in prison - and didn't comprehend what he was signing at the time.

WSJ: Officials question 2004 Buffalo murder conviction

The evidence Tripi spoke of was compiled by a federal task force that looked into the Camacho murders for more than a year and was made up of Buffalo police detectives, FBI agents and state police.

WSJ: Officials question 2004 Buffalo murder conviction

Tripi said recently in Buffalo federal court.

WSJ: Officials question 2004 Buffalo murder conviction