Houston Man Exonerated After 3.5 Years Behind Bars Files Federal Lawsuit

A Houston man who spent more than three years in jail for a murder he did not commit is now suing the city and two police officers, claiming his arrest was based on flawed evidence and a rushed investigation.

Imagine waking up one day to find your life ripped apart by a murder charge you know you didn’t commit. That was the nightmare reality for Houston native Jeffery Archangel, who spent three and a half years in jail and another year and a half under house arrest, only for prosecutors to drop all charges a week before his trial.

Now, Archangel is suing the City of Houston and two police officers, accusing them of a sloppy investigation that turned his life upside down.

According to Fox 26 Houston, Jeffery Archangel was charged in 2017 with the murder of Javier Flores, an 18-year-old shot and killed during a Subway restaurant robbery. Prosecutors dropped all charges against Archangel in 2022, just a week before his trial, citing a missing witness.

“I was on 24-hour house arrest for another year and a half. Seven days before my trial, they dropped it,” Archangel told Fox 26 Houston.

Now, Archangel, 30, has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the City of Houston and the police officers who investigated the case.

Justice Eludes Both Victim’s Family and Exonerated Houston Man

The tragedy began in February 2017 when Flores was fatally shot while shielding his mother, Hilda Vazquez, during an armed robbery at the Subway where they worked. According to Fox 26 Houston, Flores’ death made national headlines, prompting a manhunt for the two masked suspects caught on surveillance footage.

In April 2017, investigators received a tip implicating Derrick Welch, who was dating Archangel’s sister. Fox 26 Houston states that police found a vehicle at the residence that matched the suspect vehicle in the robbery. Welch was interviewed and claimed Archangel was involved, which led to his arrest.

Archangel, who denied involvement from the beginning, turned himself in with the help of activist Quanell X.

“On both sides, it was a tragedy,” Archangel said. “Nobody got justice. Nobody won. Nobody wins in a situation like that.”

Archangel’s life became a tragic parallel to the Flores family’s grief. While they mourned a young hero, Archangel sat in a jail cell accused of a crime he had no part in.

Flawed Investigation Sparks Lawsuit Against Houston Police

The investigation into Archangel was riddled with red flags that his defense attorney, Mike Fosher, says should’ve cleared him from the start. From questionable photo arrays to damning physical evidence ignored by the police, Archangel’s name was dragged through the mud. Fosher uncovered several key pieces of evidence that cast doubt on his client’s involvement.

According to Fox 26 Houston, police presented a photo array to a robbery victim with an outdated image of Archangel from when he was 16, despite having access to a more recent photo.

“When we got the photo spread – at the time, Jeffery was 25 years old. But the police used a photo spread picture of when he was 16,” Fosher told Fox 26 Houston.

Additionally, Fox 26 Houston reports that security footage also showed the suspects lacked tattoos on their hands, while Archangel’s right hand is covered in tattoos.

“You can see the back of their hand; they did not have any tattoos,” Fosher said.

If that wasn’t enough, DNA found in the suspect’s car didn’t belong to Archangel. It matched another man, Derrick Welch, who lived with Archangel and his sister. Welch, later killed in 2018, claimed Archangel was involved in the crime, a claim Archangel repeatedly denied.

What a major oversight!

Despite these inconsistencies, Archangel spent 3.5 years in jail and another 1.5 years under house arrest before prosecutors dropped the charges.

In September 2024, Archangel and his attorney, Andino Reynal, filed a lawsuit accusing police of rushing to judgment and ignoring evidence that pointed to his innocence. Reynal shared with Fox 26 Houston that there’s more to the story:

“This is not an isolated circumstance. Unfortunately, officers having tunnel vision, putting the cart before the horse,” said Reynal.

The City of Houston has filed motions to dismiss the case, arguing that a two-year statute of limitations bars Archangel’s claims.

Exonerated Musician Fights to Rebuild Life After Legal Nightmare

Before his arrest, Archangel was a musician known as “Skylar Jones,” preparing to sign a record deal in New York. His career was derailed by the wrongful charges, leaving him to rebuild his life at 30.
Archangel said to Fox 26 Houston,

“I’m 30 now, and the game I wanted to do, it was a young man’s game. I have to rebrand my person, find out who I want to be, find something that drives me, gives me that same passion.”

Despite his exoneration, Archangel said the real tragedy is that no one received justice—not him and not Flores’ family.

“We really appreciate the DA dismissing the case – which they should have done – but I don’t agree with the reason for the dismissal,” Fosher said. The charges were dropped due to a “missing witness,” a reason Archangel’s defense team believes was an attempt to cover for police errors.

Archangel hopes his story sheds light on systemic flaws in law enforcement and inspires hope for others wrongfully accused. Too many stories look similar to this one.

Is there truly a system for justice?

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