#549 Lauren Bright Pacheco with James Soto

Wrongful Conviction

Lava for Good Podcasts

True Crime

4.6 • 5.7K Ratings

🗓️ 30 October 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco is back November 13th with all new episodes. So today, we’re revisiting one of the most memorable episode from her last season, episode #454, James Soto:
James “Jimmy” Soto was wrongfully convicted at age 20 for a 1981 double homicide in Chicago’s Little Village despite no physical evidence and multiple alibi witnesses. Jimmy and his cousin David spent 42 years in prison — the longest wrongful conviction sentences in Illinois history. While incarcerated, Jimmy earned a college degree and became a jailhouse lawyer, helping others, including his former cellmate Robert Almodovar. The two formed a lifelong bond — and now, both exonerated, they’re rebuilding their lives together on the outside.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/life-after-42-yrs-of-wrongful-imprisonment
https://paroleillinois.org/

Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, it's Lauren Brett Pacheco, and I am so excited to be back in the host chair for
0:10.0	wrongful conviction. The new season drops November 13th, with brand new episodes and more
0:16.2	unbelievable stories of people who refuse to let injustice to find them.
0:22.1	But while we gear up for launch, I want to take you back to one of my all-time favorite
0:27.3	conversations from last season.
0:29.7	It's with the incredibly inspiring and absolutely unstoppable Jimmy Soto.
0:35.9	Jimmy spent 42 years behind bars, making his case the longest wrongful
0:41.0	conviction in Illinois history. You'll also hear from his close friend, fellow exonerie,
0:47.4	and former cellmate, Robert Almodovar. Together, these two are absolutely unforgettable. I mean, dynamic duo doesn't even begin to
0:56.9	cover it. I hope you'll enjoy spending time with them as much as I did, and I'll be back in two
1:03.2	weeks with more unforgettable profiles of people who turned injustice into strength and hope
1:09.7	into freedom.
1:17.6	Tens of thousands of people incarcerated in the U.S. have been wrongfully convicted
1:22.6	and are being held in captivity for crimes even as they adamantly maintain their innocence. What's it like
1:29.6	to be one of those imprisoned people? And what's it like to be their ally, the one outside committed
1:35.4	to fighting for their freedom? I'm Lauren Bright Pacheco, and this is wrongful conviction.
1:57.0	When he was just 20 years old, an act of violence would change James Soto's life forever and the trajectory for the next four decades. At about 9 p.m. on August 16th, 1981, shots rang out in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood,
2:06.3	killing two people, and injuring a third.
2:09.0	Although eyewitnesses initially pointed to other suspects,
2:12.4	police ultimately arrested a few members of the two-six street gang, which controlled the territory,
2:19.5	including James Soto. Despite no physical evidence tying him to the crime and plenty of
2:26.7	defense witnesses, James was convicted of the shooting and sentenced to life without parole.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Lava for Good Podcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Lava for Good Podcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.