Carlos Sanchez
Speaking topics: Coerced pleas
In May 2017, Carlos Sanchez was released after spending nearly 25 years — more than half of his life — in prison for a murder he maintains he did not commit.
Mr. Sanchez was only 17, when, after an eight-hour interrogation by police without a lawyer or guardian present, he signed a confession taking responsibility for the 1992 murder of his girlfriend. The confession was the only evidence linking him to the crime, and it was obtained under conditions now known to be associated with false confessions. The statement was also at odds with physical evidence collected in the case.
In January 2017, Mr. Sanchez was granted parole. He is still fighting to prove his innocence.
More about this speaker
Unpacking our experiences through hardship and trauma is part of healing. I share my story out loud and in public in order to do this unpacking on a continuous basis. In doing so, I can also be an example to others not to fear doing such self-reflections.