After 36 years in prison for murder, I was exonerated along with my co-defendants. We were just sixteen years old, attending high school. None of us was ever in any real trouble, and we all came from stable homes and morally sound backgrounds. We were convicted based on the testimony of four teenage witnesses who have now recanted, saying they were pressured by police to change their initial, truthful stories — that one person committed the crime — and instead identify the three of us.
I’m grateful that God granted us this victory, and I give Him glory and honor in the midst of all the interest in our story. He was with me while I was incarcerated and kept me focused on His love and His own purpose for allowing this travesty of justice. People used to be surprised at my upbeat attitude on the inside, but now they see… God is good, All the time. What my enemies meant for evil, God has and will continue to use for Good!
That’s why I support Hope Farms and I’ve agreed to be in some ways a spokesman for the organization. I was part of the development of the concept with my friends Jim and Federico. They would come to me regularly asking my opinion about the idea, and I told them that I believed that God would bless this ministry and I would help in any way I could. Now that I’m a free man I’m on the board of directors and a supporter of Hope Farms Inc. I will be serving in many capacities, one of which will be visiting, and encouraging the men who will live at Hope Farms, as well as sharing my life with them.