Daniel Villegas Freed on $50,000 Bond After Alleged False Confession
Daniel Villegas is enjoying his newfound freedom after confessing to two murders that he did not commit 20 years ago. Villegas was serving a life sentence for the double murder, but an appellate court vacated the sentence and he is likely to be released today on bond.
"It's been a struggle," John Mimbela, an El Paso businessman who helped finance much of Villegas' appeal, told the L.A. Times. "We could make history."
The case began 20 years ago with the drive-by killings of Robert England, 18, and Armando Lazo, 17. Police initially thought that the murders were gang-related, but soon Villegas, 16, came onto their radar. He gave a full confession to the murders and had been heard bragging about killing people. However, once police took his confession, he recanted and claimed that he had been badgered into giving it.
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There were some discrepancies between Villegas' account of what happened and what actually happened, yet the confession stood and he was found guilty of the shootings. Villegas was sentenced to life behind bars, but people familiar with the case decided to take up the case and get Villegas released. They gathered support from organizations such as the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth at the Northwestern University School of Law.
An appellate court vacated the conviction in December, and a bond hearing has been set for today, meaning that Villegas is now free on bond. Prosecutors will have the opportunity to decide whether they want to ask for a retrial against Villegas. His attorneys hope that the district attorney will make the decision not to go back to court.
According to live coverage of the trial, Villegas' bond has been set at $50,000. If Villegas is fully exonerated, he would be eligible for compensation at a rate of $80,000 per year served in prison, along with a monthly annuity and other benefits. The judge stated that Villegas is due back in court on January 21.
