Juan Melendez
Juan Roberto Melendez-Colon ("Puerto Rican Johnny") (born May 24, 1951 in Brooklyn , New York , NY ) was sentenced to death innocently and has been an activist against the death penalty since his release .
In 1984 he was arrested in Pennsylvania for the murder of Delbert Baker and sentenced to death. He was on death row in Florida for more than 17 years . At the end of 2000, a tape appeared with the confession of the real killer. On January 3rd, 2002, he was released from prison as innocent. He is the 99th innocent US death penalty candidate since 1973.
Since then, he has shared his experiences on death row with other people in lectures, many of which he has given in the USA and Europe. In Germany he appeared for the first time in May 2005 at the invitation of Amnesty International (Schwelm / Wuppertal group) and since then has campaigned against the death penalty on further Germany tours and TV appearances.
He founded the organization Juan Melendez Voices United for Justice Project .
Not to be confused with the US comedian John Melendez , * 1965.
Web links
- Juan Melendez Voices United for Justice Project (English)
- Juan Melendez Tour
- Report of his life
- Summary of the case (English)
- Court decision of December 2001 release (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Melendez, Juan |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Melendez-Colon, Juan Roberto; Melendez, John Robert; Puerto Rican Johnny |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American activist against the death penalty |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 24, 1951 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City |