Through my photographs, I aim to capture the interplay of images and story. The story of Carlos De Luna, an arguably innocent, convicted and executed Corpus Christi resident.

   We cannot understand what he and his family went through. However, in this series, I explore themes of loss, identity, belonging and the inequity of the justice system in Texas. Ultimately, I hope to foster a sense of empathy and understanding of this young Hispanic man who grew up in the 60's and 70's.

The Short Road

A Mexican-American boy is born in Corpus Christi, Texas on March 15, 1962

He didn't grow up in a typical home. He grew up in the Wiggins apartment complex, a tough Tejano barrio.

Government housing units produce hard, often scarred young men. He dropped out of high school in the 9th grade.

On February 4, 1983 he's convicted of thrusting an 8" buck knife into Wanda Lopez's heart during a robbery of a convenience store at 2602 South Padre Island Drive. She was 24 years old.

On December 7, 1989 Carlos De Luna was executed by the State of Texas. He was 27 years old.

In 2006 the Chicago Tribune published a series of investigative stories regarding the possibility of Carlos De Luna's innocence. In 2012 the Columbia Human Rights Law Review published an in-depth report based on six years of research which raised serious doubts about De Luna's guilt. In 2021 a documentary "The Phantom" is released, which reiterated the doubts about Carlos De Luna's guilt and execution by the State of Texas.

Since 1960 the State of Texas has executed 616 inmates.