I almost felt safe enough to tell him. I wanted to tell him, but felt like if I did then I would be sealed with that murder conviction and spend the rest of my life in prison.
He asked me one more time if I wanted to tell my side of the story.
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.
Chapter 4 - Part 2
So, I was officially done with my 3-month sentence, but I was still stuck until Waukegan Police Department came to pick me up. I can’t remember exactly, but I believe it took about four more days for them to come and get me. The day I was granted parole, I just happened to see my counselor. I headed to the gym and we crossed paths. I introduced myself to her and before I could say anything else, she caught me and told me that my parole would be put on hold and that I would be turned over to Waukegan police custody. I told her that I had been granted parole that day and was wondering when the officers would come and pick me up. She gave me a disgusted look, told me she did not know, then turned and walked away. She clearly had an attitude with me and I figured she was judging me because of what I was accused of. I was unfazed by it.
The next day, I was in the gym again and my counselor came to get me because she wanted me to call my mom. I hadn’t been able to talk to my family in the week that I’ve been there because they couldn’t afford the collect calls. My counselor had arranged for me to call my mom using her office phone. It was a pleasant surprise that I was grateful for.
I called my mom and it went as expected. she had already been informed by that point about my charges. She was a bit emotional in the beginning of the call. She was concerned about me and how I was holding up. I told her I was okay and maintaining. There really wasn’t much to say and the call ended pretty quickly. We may have talked for 10 minutes. Once she realized I was good, I could tell she was in better spirits. Before we ended the call, she told me to send some of my strength to her through the mail.
It felt great talking to my mom. Someone who I was close to and not a stranger. I needed to feel that connection and familiarity. I felt alone and on my own every minute I was in St Charles. A couple of days after speaking with my mom, the Waukegan police did come to pick me up. I was escorted to a sally port and when I got there I saw three detectives standing next to their car. One of them I recognized instantly. It was the detective who had called me and asked for me to meet him to answer some questions. The guy I snapped out on. The one who threatened to slap the s*** out of me.