Carlos Trevino, a Texas death row inmate sentenced for the gang rape and murder of 15-year-old Linda Salinas, has complained that people, including relatives, won't "let it go" over his crime. Trevino, now aged 51, has spent nearly three decades on death row after being sentenced in 1997.
Online posts and Wire of Hope
In posts online, Trevino wrote: "Are you the black sheep of the family? Have you ever felt as if you just don't fit in? Have you ever made an error or mistake and people just don't let it go? You've lost friends, and family tolerate you or avoid you, maybe even disowned you. They no longer see any worth or value in you."
He continued: "No matter how hard you try to make things right, even if these errors or mistakes have made you a better person, they weaponise your past while you're trying to escape it. People, even family, look at you and judge you for that one action, and you are only known for that one action. They don't see anything different about you or the changes you have made. They just see the mistakes you made."
"Regardless if it has been years, you're always judged for that one thing. It doesn't matter if you have apologised, made changes in your life, or how much remorse you've shown. Even when regret is written across your heart and face, people just don't see the real you. Welcome to my world."
Trevino posted these remarks on a platform called Wire of Hope, established by two women who have experienced the justice system as loved ones and pen pals of imprisoned individuals. They said they have "seen how isolation can break a person, and how connection can restore hope and growth", which prompted them to launch their organisation.
Crime and conviction
Trevino, originally from San Antonio, Texas, is using the service three decades after his role in the gang rape and fatal stabbing of Linda Salinas. She was sexually assaulted and stabbed to death at a park in San Antonio on June 9, 1996, just one month after Trevino had been released from prison for motor vehicle theft.
While three others were found guilty for their participation, it was Trevino who received the death penalty. Officers discovered her body a day after she entered a vehicle with Trevino, who had offered to drive her to a fast-food outlet, but instead took her to a park where she endured a horrific attack by a group of men. A post-mortem examination subsequently revealed she died from a stab wound to the neck, an injury inflicted by Trevino, who was also reported to have restrained the victim while she was being assaulted.
Execution delays and legal challenges
He was due to be executed in 2020 but the death warrant was withdrawn due to the "current Covid-19 conditions in Texas". It marked the third occasion his execution had been postponed.
Throughout the years, his legal representatives have contended that his original defence team failed to present mitigating evidence showing he had foetal alcohol syndrome and suffered both physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his mother. More than 10,000 people have also signed a petition attempting to prevent Trevino's execution, with a statement declaring: "His trial attorney did not investigate potentially mitigating evidence that he suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome, due to his mother drinking while she was pregnant. Mr. Trevino weighed four pounds at birth, and has presented symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome throughout his life, greatly impairing his ability to make decisions."
While it remains unclear what lies ahead for the killer, it is understood he is currently seeking contact through Wire of Hope, where he discussed the sort of individual he hopes to connect with. He stated on his profile: "At the age of 51, I have found some answers, but I am left with more questions than answers. If we walk in the same world, I would love to hear from you. Maybe we can find some more answers. We could be there for each other, to lift and build each other up. Maybe heal the brokenness."
"If you are reading this and you are walking in these shoes but decide not to write, please don't isolate yourself. Search for the light and don't drown in your past. Keep pushing forward. Keep pushing for the good, and please keep your head up."
