The Wrong Carlos: Anatomy of a Wrongful Execution
Columbia University Press, 2014

Synopsis: “In 1989, Carlos DeLuna, a poor Hispanic man with childlike intelligence, was executed in Texas for the murder of Wanda Lopez, a convenience store clerk. His execution passed unnoticed for years until a team of Columbia Law School faculty and students almost accidentally chose to investigate his case and found that DeLuna was almost certainly innocent. The Wrong Carlos documents DeLuna’s conviction, which was based on a single, nighttime, cross-ethnic eyewitness identification with no corroborating forensic evidence. At DeLuna’s trial, the prosecution branded him as a liar for fabricating Carlos Hernandez, the man he identified as the real killer.” (Amazon)

Praise: “This case is examined to such an earth’s-core depth—the book is full of site maps and footnotes and its website features much more—that readers will come away absolutely convinced that the conviction of Carlos DeLuna was a profound injustice.”
—Boston Globe

“A sad, absorbing, and profoundly important tale of a wrongful conviction and execution. Everyone with an interest in criminal justice and every public official with responsibility in this realm should place it high on their reading list.”
—The Champion

“Wrenching … death penalty opponents now have a definitive example to cite; death penalty proponents have an agonizing case to consider.”
—Kirkus Starred Review