In 1989, 15-year old Efrén Paredes Jr. was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder in the case of a St. Joseph store clerk who was shot and killed during a robbery.
Since then, Paredes has staunchly maintained his innocence. Supporters of Paredes run a website called "Free Efrén", and interviews with Paredes appear semi-regularly on a website dedicated to chronicling Paredes' life behind bars and fight for release.
Earlier this year, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled to allow resentencing for inmates that were given a life sentence at age 21 or under. Paredes is one of those inmates.
In early August, the Michigan Department of Corrections announced that a public hearing will be held on September 1 to consider commuting Paredes’ sentence. The hearing is required for the parole board to make a clemency recommendation to the governor.
Human rights advocacy group Amnesty International is hosting a petition calling on Governor Gretchen Whitmer to grant Paredes clemency. Paredes has previously requested clemency from past governors, including in 2008 when he sought clemency from then-Governor Jennifer Granholm.
According to the Western Herald, Paredes is a student of Western Michigan University's Higher Education for the Justice Involved program. He has also written op-ed articles for the American Civil Liberties Association and other organizations.
The hearing will be held on Tuesday, September 1 at 9 a.m. and will be hosted on Microsoft Teams.
