Adam Riojas

Adam Riojas was another victim of a faulty, cross-rational identification.  At the time of the murder, Adam was taking classes in Hawaii, and only occasionally spent time on the mainland visiting his mother. On one of those visits, friends of his estranged father came to his mother’s house to borrow a van that was used in a killing.  Adam was misidentified as his father who was physically very similar.   The California Innocence Project represented Adam at his parole hearing where a deputy district attorney stated on the record he was “seriously concerned that [Adam] may have been wrongfully convicted.” Adam was released after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger chose not to block the unanimous decision of the parole board.  He walked out of prison after serving 13 years for a crime he did not commit.  For more information about Adam’s case go to: https://californiainnocenceproject.org/read-their-stories/adam-riojas/