sorry, does warrant an explanation, i suppose.
while one can change his or her present course of actions and thoughts at any given time, it by no means negates what he/she has done before. One cannot simply have a new identity (at least in the common, public eye/sense of perception) without having a complete erasure of his or her past crimes and ways of thinking.
Bad analogy, but, just because a football player retired this year does not mean he wasn't a football player. Just because a soldier has served his term of active and reserve duties and has terminated his contract does not make him not a soldier.
Yes, one can change by thinking and acting differently, but that change applies to the present (and perhaps the future) - it does not negate the past. Also, depending on the person, it may take quite some time to properly shift mentalities.