He shared his story and discussed his feelings regarding the death penalty at a standing room only lecture Thursday in Emory Clark Hall.,”After spending 17 years, eight months and one day on Florida's death row for a crime he did not commit, Juan Melendez was exonerated and released.

He shared his story and discussed his feelings regarding the death penalty at a standing room only lecture Thursday in Emory Clark Hall.

Melendez began the presentation by speaking of his childhood and personal background. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and raised in Puerto Rico, Melendez dropped out of school in the ninth grade and then came to the United States at age 18. He first lived in Delaware, working as a fruit picker. Later, he moved to Florida and then Pennsylvania.

"I migrated to the U.S. to try and find a better life," Melendez said. "I was looking for the American Dream but found the American nightmare."

On May 2, 1984, Melendez said he remembers FBI agents finding him in Pennsylvania. He was charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery in Florida.

"I was na've to the law and the language," Melendez said. "I was thinking, 'I didn't commit the crime, I'm not a killer, my mama raised no killers.' "

There was evidence in favor of Melendez's innocence, but he was found guilty, he said.

He had no criminal record and there was no physical evidence against him. Four alibi witnesses also spoke on his behalf. What led to Melendez's conviction was a police informant who claimed he confessed the crime, he said. Two days later, he was sentenced to death.

"I was full of hate and was scared to die for a crime I did not commit," Melendez said.

Arriving at death row is still a vivid memory. He lived in a 6-foot-by-9-foot cell with shackles on his legs, a chained waist and handcuffs on his wrists. The cell was infested with rats and cockroaches, he said.

What Melendez called several "miracles" led to his conviction being thrown out. After he was given a second trial, evidence surfaced that proved his innocence.

"I was in a state of shock and was smiling like a cartoon character – and I'm still smiling today," Melendez said.

At the time of his release, Melendez was provided with $100, a pair of pants and a shirt. He received no other forms of compensation from the state of Florida and was never given an apology.

Melendez ended his portion of the presentation with a plea to vote "no" for the Nov. 7 Wisconsin referendum that would, if approved by voters, advise the state to reinstate the death penalty only in cases where DNA evidence proves a person's guilt. It would not reinstate the death penalty for all cases, which has been banned in the state since 1853.

"I'm still a dreamer," Melendez said. "I dream and pray to God every day that I can see the death penalty abolished, and I can't do that without your support."

The reinstatement of the death penalty would only make Wisconsin citizens more vulnerable, said Judi Caruso, lawyer and sponsor of the Juan Melendez Voices United for Justice Project.

"Wisconsin doesn't deserve the death penalty. It will only bring more suffering and pain," Caruso said.

While Carrie Massura, freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she has always been against the death penalty in theory, hearing Melendez speak brought a new perspective to the issue.

"This is the first time I've heard someone from death row speak," Massura said. "It only cements my belief (the death penalty) is the wrong thing."

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