Mexicans on Death Row

"They stole 15 years of my life." A native of Mexico, Ricardo Aldape Guerra was sentenced to death in 1982 for the murder of a police officer. He spent 15 years in prison before his sentence was overturned. Ricardo Ampudia, former Consul General of Mexico in Houston, Texas, explores the history and ethics of the death penalty in this fascinating look at its impact on Mexicans sentenced to death in the United States. The author offers a brief introduction about the death penalty and notes that most of the countries that apply it have dictatorial regimes or repressive governments, with the exception of the U.S. The final chapters focus on the case. In this section written by defense attorney it's revealed that the reopened investigation uncovered evidence that the jury never heard when Aldape was convicted. Originally published in Mexico as "Mexicanos al grito de muerte," this absorbing account of the history, use, and flaws of the death penalty is a must-read.