#2: Who Was I Before This?
Episode description
Who was I before being wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life plus 25 years? That is what we will cover in today's episode of MYLIFEplus25.
Step inside the fight of a man who was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life plus 25 years. After 17 years of injustice his struggle continues. MYLIFEplus25 is both his experience and his voice, calling for action and solidarity in his fight for freedom.
The state of New Mexico refers to me as Mario Chavez, inmate 65079. In August of 2004 the state charged me with first degree murder, armed robbery and several counts of tampering with evidence. In 2006 a jury found me guilty of all charges and the honorable Richard Knowles sentenced me to life plus 25 years.
Here’s the problem: I didn’t kill anyone.The reason that I’m even writing or talking about this isn’t just because the state’s judicial system is systematically denying me justice, it’s because I’m not the only one.
Wrongful convictions by most estimates are at 4 percent. And with about a million felony convictions in the U.S. each year, that means that for the last 16 years of me being wrongfully incarcerated, 640,000 men and women have likewise been wrongfully convicted and sentenced to prison. And less than one-half of one percent get exonerated each year.
MYLIFEplus25 is both my experience and my voice, calling for action and solidarity in my fight for freedom.
Learn more about My Life Plus 25 And My Full Story Here.
Share this podcast to help support the fight against injustice and look out for more episodes coming soon from MYLIFEplus25.