A third witness who knows Flores says he wasn't the shooter. A fourth witness, tried three times for a net of zero convictions (one mistrial, two reversals) for the 1995 shooting that triggered the gang war, may also be available to testify that Flores is innocent. Flores' motion for a new trial is pending.
• Efren Paredes Jr., a 15 year old bagger at Roger’s Foodland in St. Joseph, Michigan, was convicted of killing his boss during a robbery. Parades has always maintained his innocence.
Prosecutors said Paredes planned and executed a “thrill kill.” He was the last worker to punch out before the after-hours homicide. A teen who served time for his role in the crime told jurors he picked up Paredes from the store after Paredes shot Tetzlaff and took $11,000 in cash and checks.
But Paredes’ mother said he was home during the murder, insisting she saw Tetzlaff himself drop her son off before returning to the store. Supporters said those responsible for the crime lied, cut deals and pointed the finger at Paredes to save themselves. Paul Ciolino, a Chicago-based private investigator who was hired by the Paredes family and has helped free five men from Illinois’ death row, called his case a “classic” wrongful conviction.
Young Parades was sentenced to a mandatory term of life without parole. He failed to overturn the conviction or sentence in his state and federal post-conviction proceedings, despite this:
The jury foreman was a co-worker of the victim’s wife’s aunt. Paredes alleged the foreman was crucial in persuading other jurors who initially voted 9-3 for acquittal.
For obvious reasons, judges can't consider any of the vote counts taken before deliberations produce a unanimous verdict. Still, news of an arm-twisting jury foreman who might have an interest in the trial's outcome does not inspire confidence in the verdict.
While Iowans Michiganders consider the wisdom of applying a mandatory "life without parole" law to a 15 year old (300 juveniles are serving life sentences in Iowa Michigan), Paredes' only remaining hope may be executive clemency. His clemency request will be decided by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who will likely be guided by the Parole Board's recommendation. The Board will not reexamine the evidence against Paredes, but will decide whether he deserves clemency in light of his excellent prison record.
Parole Boards usually look for evidence that the inmate has accepted responsibility for his crimes and feels genuine remorse for the harm he caused. That evidence doesn't exist when an inmate is innocent.
“I will not take responsibility for a crime I did not commit,” a handcuffed Paredes told parole board members. “I never will do that even if it meant I could leave today.”
Sadly, Parades isn't likely to receive a clemency recommendation without saying the magic words.
• Peter Limone spent 33 years in prison because the FBI withheld evidence of his innocence to protect an informant who was involved in the killing. He has yet to collect the $26 million he was awarded as compensation for the government's wrongdoing because the government appealed.
Now the government has arrested Limone, accusing him of running "an illegal gaming enterprise that included loan sharking, attempted extortion and bookmaking." His wife insists he's innocent, but really, can't the man catch a break? He's 74 years old. After serving 33 years for a crime he didn't commit, hasn't he already done enough time to pay for whatever loan sharking he can do in his remaining years?
