Hello to everyone,

Last year at this time I wrote a post to mark the relevance of this date. I began the post with the sentence, “This is a very difficult time of the year.” And it is. This month marks 20 years since Christopher’s death. It also marks 20 years that I have been incarcerated as an innocent man.

However, this year I am choosing to focus on the positive. I want all of our thoughts to be toward the future and the hope that it brings. I want to think of this date as the one year anniversary of Jen, my attorney and our friend; talking to Lisa and deciding that she wants to be the attorney who finally brings me home. Every day we are thankful for Jen and all she does. She is selfless, dedicated, focused and supportive. We love her.

I want to write a little more about the significance of the article in Boston Magazine. At first we were very cautious and hesitant, me especially. I still have very vivid memories of how I was treated in the media 20 years ago. The sensationalism of the media, and the bold faced lies that were printed about me and my family were devastating. It got to the point where my family would withhold the articles from me for fear of how it would upset me. Not only did it affect my daughter and family, I believe it led to the “get a conviction at any cost” attitude of the prosecutor. In setting up the website it was suggested that the negative stories be addressed. After all, anyone interested in the story will come across the old articles. I was extremely reluctant, but ultimately decided that it’s better to go on the offense rather than wait to play defense. Because the truth is the truth and I’ve got nothing to hide. I’ve told the truth from the first night I walked into the police station and that has never changed.

However, Chris Vogel and ultimately the investigative reporter, Gus Garcia-Roberts put us at ease. They assured us they were not interested in a one sided, inaccurate puff piece, but rather telling an unbiased, true story of my case, based on an independent investigation. We decided to take a chance and cooperate with their investigation. After all, the truth is the truth. Digging deeper, I know can only confirm my innocence. We have not seen the article prior to publication nor do we know what was written. We have faith that the truth will come out. We are all very anxious to read it, and as I write this post, I am aware that by the time it is posted, the article should be released. Lisa often reminds me that it is the truth that will set me free. Let’s hope that this is the beginning.

UPDATE: Brian wrote this in mid-January anticipating an early publication date and the 4-5 days it takes for his mail to arrive which is why it is addressed in the future tense. The magazine is now on newsstands.

Christmas kisses from Dancer, December 2015

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

To everyone, we wish you all a happy and safe holiday season.

From Lisa and me to our family, friends, and loved ones, we hope and pray that you all enjoy your Christmas and are thankful for every moment that you have with each other.

We will also be thinking of all of you, our supporters and legal team, sending you wishes for a beautiful holiday that is filled with special moments and loving memories.

Christmas morning at the Peixoto house!

This time of the year should be magical and filled with laughter and joy. Please, remember to add some perspective to your lives and remember what is truly important. Every moment is precious.

Merry Christmas, from all of mine, to all of yours.

Brian and Santa at Auntie Janice and Uncle Gil’s Firehouse Pizza in Newport

Hello to everyone,

I hope you are all well and looking forward to spring. Lisa, our web administrator, has told me many times that spring is her favorite season. Spring, she says, represents new beginnings. So along with Lisa, let us all look forward to the spring and new beginnings. I love you, Lisa.

I’ve recently been made aware of efforts made by family, friends, and supporters to raise funds for a private investigator through Indiegogo. I am at a loss for words. I’ve been told of my family members and the many others who have come forward and offered their help and support. I am continuously awed at what you all are willing to give. I do not know how to express my gratitude. Words alone do not seem to be enough. Unfortunately, words are all I have. For that reason I sincerely say, I love you and thank you.

During the early days of my imprisonment I was forced to learn to survive. I had to learn to stand on my own, with my back against the wall, and defend myself from those who would want to cause me harm-and with the label “baby killer” there were many. By both staff and other inmates I was a target. I could trust no one. Even with the support of my family, behind the walls I was alone. It hardened me and made me untrusting. I found my strength in my isolation and that made it possible for me to endure the many years of my incarceration as an innocent man. Hope seemed like a ridiculous concept in a truly hopeless place. Now, with so much support, so many kind words and offers of help, it can be difficult for me. I often find myself in disbelief of the support of so many. I sometimes have to force myself to accept that I am no longer alone. In truth, I was never alone. There are so many who believe in me. Because of all of you, this lonely place does not feel so dark. I know now that I am a blessed man. The support of all of you is what has brought me to this light, this gift. Thank you to everyone.

There has been another amazing offer of help that I would like to share.  Over the years we have sent out hundreds of letters to doctors, lawyers and other professionals looking for help. This one came to us. Attorney Jennifer Fitzgerald has not only joined our team but is leading it as well. She has been working tirelessly reviewing every document, every report, and every court transcript. Jen has brought us new hope and new opportunities for justice. Working closely with Lisa, a new game plan is in the works. She has quickly become a friend. Over the next several months you will be hearing more about Jen and what will be our next move.

I want to briefly update everyone on Dancer’s progress. She is doing great. Her training is complete and she is ready for the next step in this process. By the way, May 9^th is her birthday. She will be 1 year old. I feel like a proud father. The next step for her is to go to be evaluated at the NEADS facility. They will make a determination as to what client she will most be able to help. My hope is that she is matched with a child with a disability because Dancer is so sweet and gentle. She would bring great joy to a child’s life. I will keep you posted.

Mom and Brian

To my mom, Happy Mother’s Day; I love you. And a happy Mother’s Day to all the other mothers in my life. I hope you all have a great day and know in your hearts that you are loved and appreciated.

I ask that everyone take a moment in their busy lives to be thankful for all that they have. It is easy to lose focus on what is truly important in life. It is often not until it has been lost that one appreciates what they have. It is a lesson we should all remember.

Thank you once again for everyone’s support. Thank you to the many people who believe in me and are fighting to bring me home. I feel in my heart that with every passing day, we are One Day Closer…

Hello everyone,

I hope you are all healthy and well.

This is a very difficult time of the year. Every year at this time I am flooded with an array of emotions. This month marks the anniversary of little Christopher’s tragic death.

When I think about the tragedy of Christopher dying I don’t think merely about the loss of a small boy, I think also about the loss to so many more.

Christopher died on January 22, 1996. I can’t imagine the terrible pain this must have caused his young sister and entire family. It is a horrible thing for any family to have to endure. And I have always empathized with his family that loved him and miss him dearly. Even now as so many fight for my freedom, we constantly remind ourselves that a young boy’s life was lost and we should never lose sight of that.

However, this month marks another anniversary – the anniversary of my incarceration. This time of the year especially I stop to think about all that was taken from me and my family. Nineteen years have gone by that I have been in prison for a crime I did not commit. Nineteen years that I have been an innocent man wrongly convicted of a horrific crime. Wow, just saying those words to myself and contemplating the gravity of this injustice has a profound, emotional effect on me. Every day I try to stay focused and fight back the feelings of hurt and anger. But this time of year I often lose that battle. Nineteen years have gone by that I have missed holidays, birthdays, my sister’s wedding, my niece’s birth; my whole life. For nineteen years my family has fought to right the wrong.

Nineteen years ago my daughter, Amber was four years old. She turned 23 this past June. I think how confusing it must have been for her and how her life was affected.

I think about what it must have been like for my sister and my parents to see me in that courtroom in handcuffs, charged with murdering a little boy; on the nightly news and in newspapers calling me, “Baby Killer.” The stares; the confusion; the hurt; the tears. What must that have been like for them to endure? How did they find the strength to keep going? How could I have ever survived without their love and support?

Then I think about the years my young daughter, just a little girl, went to school and had the other kids tease her about her daddy being in prison.  I recently learned about things Amber encountered in high school, where kids can be so cruel and have the means to publically embarrass an innocent girl. Living with the stigma of being labelled the daughter of a child killer – I can’t imagine. The years of pain my parents have had to endure knowing what people were whispering about their son, at the same time loving me and fighting to right this injustice. My sister. My baby sister. No one looked up to me more than her. I was her big brother. I can’t even imagine how she felt when someone would say something bad about me.

Tragic. Tragic is the one word that keeps coming to my mind. Even though that word in and of itself cannot alone fully encapsulate the gravity of it all. There are other words that can be used like pain, hurt, sadness, loss, emptiness, anger, desperation…, I can go on and on. None of it makes sense.

To the family and loved ones of Christopher, I am personally very sorry for your loss. To his sister who was so young at the time, I am sorry for all you have had to endure and pray that you find peace. I pray that your whole family is able to find comfort in the truth about what happened to Christopher. I never put my hands on Christopher in anger. NEVER. That is the truth. While it was tragic what happened to Christopher and your family, it was also tragic what has happened – IS happening – to me and my family.

To my family…I am sorry. I am sorry for the pain loving me has caused all of you over the years.

Please, I ask that this month especially everyone keep in their thoughts and prayers Christopher’s family and my family; two families that have been bound through tragedy. May everyone be able to find peace and comfort and happiness and freedom. It’s been a long time coming.

One day closer

Brian