Sam Mandez was just 14 years old when his elderly neighbor, Frida Winter, was found murdered in her home, the same home Sam had painted with his grandfather just a few summers prior. It would be years before they set their eyes on Sam as their main suspect. And while he was just a kid when the crime took place, Sam was tried as an adult and eventually sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder. Despite maintaining his innocence, he now faced a future behind bars. But what would that future *actually* look like? Today, we’re starting where a lot of other true crime stories end – in prison.
Please be aware that today’s episode discusses incarceration, solitary confinement, severe mental illness, suicide, and self-harm. Please take care while listening.
A full transcript of this episode is available here.
Action Items Related to Today’s Episode:
If you’re in the United States and you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or visit their website at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.
To learn more about solitary confinement and the movement to end its practice, I highly recommend checking out Solitary Watch.
Audio Used:
Vimeo: Out of Sight, Out of Mind – The Story of Sam Mandez, by ACLU of Colorado.
Sources Used:
National Institute of Corrections: Children of Incarcerated Parents.
The Denver Post: Flawed investigation, cloudy truths, by Miles Moffeit.
Vimeo: Out of Sight, Out of Mind – The Story of Sam Mandez, by ACLU of Colorado.
Mark W. Diamond, D.O, report in Mandez case.
The Atlantic: Half a Life in Solitary: How Colorado Made a Young Man Insane, by Andrew Cohen.
Lateral Magazine: The Confined Mind, by Andrew Urevig.
Solitary Watch: The ‘Vicious Cycles’ Created by Solitary Confinement, by Al Rodriguez.
Lincoln Journal Star: Nikko Jenkins sues state, alleges faulty treatment, by Riley Johnson.
ACLU letter to Rick Raemisch Raemisch re: Mandez.
The Colorado Independent: Ask The Indy: Why didn’t the judge release Sam Mandez? by Alex Burness.
