Bilingual Newsletter
- Exonerated from Death Row, the Testimony of Juan Meléndez
“The death penalty means hatred, grudge, and revenge. That is all it brings. It is a law that no civilized nation needs. No country needs to be at the same level as a murderer.”
Known as "Johnny" by his friends, Mr. Juan Roberto Meléndez was born in Brooklyn, New York but grew up in Puerto Rico, where he actually resides. Juan Meléndez is the 24th person to be exonerated and released in the state of Florida. After spending almost 18 years facing a capital punishment for a crime he did not commit, Mr. Meléndez was released on January 3, 2002, after having been sentenced to the capital punishment at the age of 33, without any physical evidence that could involve him in the crime and based on testimony given by questionable witnesses. In fact, the Public Prosecution concealed evidence and lied to the Court in order to protect the real murderer, a police officer. Mr. Meléndez was absolved when the guilty police officer’s confession was made known in 1999; a confession known by the Public Prosecution before coming to court. Mr. Meléndez told us about his experience, and about the importance of supporting the abolition of the death penalty.
18 Years Lost to Death Row
“My odyssey began in 1984. A group of FBI agents came and arrested me. They took me to the State of Florida where the crime had occurred and the trial started on the 21st of September, on a Monday; on Thursday they found me guilty and on Friday I was sentenced to death. My experience on the death row was very solitary because I was locked up in a half-dark cell, 24 hours a day, except 4 hours per week when we where taken to a yard. I didn’t seen the moon, stars, earth, or the grass for almost 18 years. At one point, I thought about committing suicide. I did not commit suicide thanks to God that made me dream of my island. The letters that my mom and my aunt wrote to me during all those years also prevented me from committing suicide.
"An Innocent Person can Die"
Juan described his experience, "It is hard to think about the fact that you're going to be killed, day after day. When I left prison, 51 persons had been executed and I knew 44 of them. I suffered a lot. I did not see my daughters grow up, and it is very hard to be punished for something you have not done. This kind of sentence brings two tragedies. The tragedy of the suffering of the victim’s family and the tragedy of the death of the accused person for the family that loves him or her so much. Thus, it is not only one tragedy, they are already two. The victim’s family is not going to feel any relief after his or her death, but the opposite. After the person has been executed the family only feels the same emotional suffering they felt before. It does not solve anything, and that is the reason why it should be abolished.
Another reason why it should be abolished is that an innocent person can die. I am living proof of why it should not exist because my life was saved by a miracle. If the confession of the person that was actually guilty had not occurred, I would have died."
A Call for Abolition
We asked Juan why it was important for Latin@s in United States to mobilize to abolish the death penalty, "The Hispanic community must get involved because the Hispanic population on death row is growing. There are many Puerto Ricans already sentenced to death, just like many Cubans and Mexicans. What happened to me, can happen to you, to your son, to your brother, to anyone you love. To avoid these injustices you should support the abolition of the death penalty."