Franky Carrillo

At 15 years old, when the sheriff’s deputies, with guns drawn, stormed the front door of his home, Franky knew something was terribly wrong. A “gang” of corrupt and racist Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies—known as the “Lynwood Vikings”—coerced key witnesses into identifying him in a photo lineup for the killing of a local man. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. After nearly 20 years of writing letters and working with a pro-bono attorney, the six witnesses who wrongfully identified him recanted their statements, and he was released from prison. Having more than 200 innocent people locked up for crimes they did not commit since 1989 and 123 exonerations, California exceeds every other state when it comes to wrongful convictions. Franky discusses the possibilities of ending the death penalty not only in California, but throughout the country in the hopes of saving the lives of innocent people just like him.