15 facing life - My memoir

Prologue - continued

This memoir is a collection of memories, stories, and experiences that have shaped my transformation from a 15 year old boy navigating life and death in the streets of my hometown, to finding hope in a maximum security adult prison with a life without parole sentence, and building a life of freedom beyond prison walls. My sincerest hope and intention is that you will connect with the shared human experience of overcoming your circumstances and worst mistakes to become the person you were always meant to be.

In March 2025, my latest appeal was successful. The Illinois Second District Appellate Court ordered that my sentence at the time be vacated due to new legal protections for 15-year-old offenders. I’d be given a new sentencing hearing where my judge could now legally sentence me as a juvenile (time served), or decide to reinstate my previous adult sentence. The juvenile sentencing options were not guaranteed and it was likely that I would not receive it.