Courtesy www.4efren.com
A man who many in the Lansing area believe was wrongly convicted of the murder of a grocery store owner in St. Joseph in 1989 will appear before the Michigan Parole Board Dec. 4, after the case was recommended to it by Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s Clemency Board.
Efren Paredes Jr. was found guilty of robbing and killing Rick Tetzlaff, the former owner of Vineland Foods store, where Paredes worked, on March 8, 1989. Paredes was 15 when the crime occurred, and friends and supporters say the evidence that convinced a jury to convict him was slim.
Paredes was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences.
“No parent should be forced to experience their son being wrongly imprisoned for a crime he did not commit,” said Velia Koppenhoeffer, Paredes mother, in an interview. “Nor (have to) spend precious time — oftentimes years — proving his innocence.”
Supporters say that the anonymous tip police used to arrest Paredes and a lack of DNA evidence linking him to the murder support his innocence. They also point out that four other men implicated in the crime took plea bargains for lesser sentences, while Paredes pleaded not guilty.
Berrien County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Michael Sepic, the prosecuting attorney in Paredes’ case, is opposed to parole. Sepic’s office recently issued a press release asking the Michigan Parole Board to keep Paredes behind bars.
Many local groups have joined the cause to “free Efren.”
Michigan State University groups Chicanos y Latinos Unidos and the Multi-Racial Unity Living Experience have held programs and forums with The Injustice Must End, a free-Efren group, to educate students about the case.
The Greater Lansing Area Network Against War and Injustice is also supporting Paredes’ release.
“I think the supposed legitimacy to (Paredes’) role in the case was created by the media plastering the false evidence presented in this case,” John Masterson, a collaborator with the GLANAW, said. “There are also many factors here that open the gates for the discussion on whether or not the case was handled properly.”
Paredes hopes that the parole board will view his “exemplary” time in prison as a credit and grant him release.
“I’ve done so much while living my life in prison,” Paredes said during a conference call at a Chicanos y Latinos Unidos even in September. “I got my GED at 16, and I attained nearly 30 college credits before they ended the program. I also have work opportunities and stability waiting for me if my release is granted.”
Paredes is adamant about his innocence.
“I refuse to agree to a crime I didn’t commit,” he said. “Even if I were promised that by pleading guilty I could be a free man the next day, I wouldn’t do it.”
Efren Paredes Jr. was found guilty of robbing and killing Rick Tetzlaff, the former owner of Vineland Foods store, where Paredes worked, on March 8, 1989. Paredes was 15 when the crime occurred, and friends and supporters say the evidence that convinced a jury to convict him was slim.
Paredes was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences.
“No parent should be forced to experience their son being wrongly imprisoned for a crime he did not commit,” said Velia Koppenhoeffer, Paredes mother, in an interview. “Nor (have to) spend precious time — oftentimes years — proving his innocence.”
Supporters say that the anonymous tip police used to arrest Paredes and a lack of DNA evidence linking him to the murder support his innocence. They also point out that four other men implicated in the crime took plea bargains for lesser sentences, while Paredes pleaded not guilty.
Berrien County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Michael Sepic, the prosecuting attorney in Paredes’ case, is opposed to parole. Sepic’s office recently issued a press release asking the Michigan Parole Board to keep Paredes behind bars.
Many local groups have joined the cause to “free Efren.”
Michigan State University groups Chicanos y Latinos Unidos and the Multi-Racial Unity Living Experience have held programs and forums with The Injustice Must End, a free-Efren group, to educate students about the case.
The Greater Lansing Area Network Against War and Injustice is also supporting Paredes’ release.
“I think the supposed legitimacy to (Paredes’) role in the case was created by the media plastering the false evidence presented in this case,” John Masterson, a collaborator with the GLANAW, said. “There are also many factors here that open the gates for the discussion on whether or not the case was handled properly.”
Paredes hopes that the parole board will view his “exemplary” time in prison as a credit and grant him release.
“I’ve done so much while living my life in prison,” Paredes said during a conference call at a Chicanos y Latinos Unidos even in September. “I got my GED at 16, and I attained nearly 30 college credits before they ended the program. I also have work opportunities and stability waiting for me if my release is granted.”
Paredes is adamant about his innocence.
“I refuse to agree to a crime I didn’t commit,” he said. “Even if I were promised that by pleading guilty I could be a free man the next day, I wouldn’t do it.”
Dale
