#454 Lauren Bright Pacheco with James Soto

When he was just 20 years old, an act of violence changed James “Jimmy” Soto’s life forever. Despite no physical evidence and numerous alibi witnesses, Jimmy and his cousin David were convicted of a 1981 double homicide in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, IL. They would end up serving 42 years in prison, the longest served wrongful conviction sentences in Illinois history.While incarcerated, Jimmy earned a bachelor’s degree and became a regular in the law library. He helped dozens of his fellow inmates with their legal cases, including his cellmate, Robert Almodovar. Jimmy and Robert formed a lifelong friendship. They helped each other survive prison — and now that they are both exonerated, they’re helping each other adjust to life on the outside. To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/life-after-42-yrs-of-wrongful-imprisonmenthttps://paroleillinois.org/ Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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In 2007, Chris Vaughn was arrested during a funeral for his wife and three children. He would be tried and convicted of their murders. To this day he maintains no memory of what occurred that tragic day 20 years ago. Murder in Illinois follows the complicated circumstances that led to Vaughn’s conviction, as well as the forensic evidence his supporters believe proves his innocence- in attempt to answer one question: Who killed the Vaughn family?