Help Miguel Solorio: Finally Free After 25 Years!

After spending 25 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit, Miguel Solorio is now a free man. “This nightmare started when I was 19 years old,” said Miguel. “I’m now 44. This was going to be my 25th Christmas in prison. Being home this year will be the best present ever.”

Miguel was arrested in 1998 for a fatal drive-by shooting in Whittier, CA and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. His conviction was based on faulty eyewitness identification practices and false testimony by law enforcement, who had zeroed in on Miguel as the lone suspect despite available evidence to the contrary.

Miguel began fighting for his freedom immediately after his wrongful conviction. He spent decades in state prison trying to find a lawyer to help prove his innocence. In 2020, Miguel connected with experienced defense attorney Ellen Eggers, who reached out to the Northern California Innocence Project (NCIP). Eggers and NCIP put together evidence from several people who identified the actual perpetrators, establishing Miguel's innocence. The attorneys also discovered that the lead detective had lied on the stand.

Eggers and NCIP also consulted with noted UC San Diego eyewitness and memory expert Dr. John Wixted. Dr. Wixted provided a powerful declaration to the court about new scientific consensus in his field, which revealed that the repeated showing of Miguel's face to eyewitnesses caused their memories to be irreversibly contaminated. The fact that they did not identify him initially, moreover, actually pointed to his innocence.

After reviewing all of the evidence presented, and conducting their own independent investigation, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office agreed that Miguel is innocent. He was exonerated on November 9, 2023 and freed from prison four days later.

Miguel is now rebuilding his life outside of prison and re-connecting with family and friends, including meeting all of his new family members born after his wrongful conviction. He is hopeful about his future – his dream is to have an office job where he can wear a suit and tie every day. He is also excited about simple pleasures like seeing the ocean again, “I love the ocean, seeing the sunset or the moon reflect on the water, it is a remarkable sight.”

NCIP has set up this GoFundMe on Miguel’s behalf so supporters can donate directly to Miguel to help him rebuild his life after decades behind bars. All donated funds will go directly to Miguel and not to the Northern California Innocence Project, and therefore are not tax deductible.