San Antonio Four finally exonerated
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Michelle Clancy
| 27 November 2016

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has ruled for the innocence and exoneration on Wednesday of the four women known as the San Antonio Four.


Filmmaker Deborah S. Esquenazi’s documentary film, Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four*captures the nightmarish persecution and devastating impact on the San Antonio Four and their families.

In 1994, the women were wrongfully convicted of aggravated sexual assault and indecency against two young girls in San Antonio. In 2012 and 2013, after one of the accusers recanted and the forensic evidence used in the trial was debunked, Elizabeth Ramirez, Anna Vasquez, Kristie Mayhugh and Cassandra Rivera were released from prison, but remained without their freedom. Winner of the Critics’ Choice Award for Best First Feature, and critically-acclaimed and lauded at Tribeca, Hot Docs, Outfest, Frameline, and many others, Southwest of Salem presents an intense and maddening reinvestigation into the bizarre allegations waged against the women during the Satanic Panic of the 1980-90s, and examines the disturbing injustices by which they were targeted for their sexual identities.

"They are innocent. And they are exonerated. This court grants them the relief they seek," said the court ruling.

“On behalf of my colleagues at Investigation Discovery, and all of our impassioned viewers who took action in this exoneration battle, we say congratulations to the San Antonio Four!” said Henry Schleiff, group president, Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel and Destination America.

“At this holiday, let us all be thankful for our media – be it print, TV, film or the internet – and its collective ability to make a difference, to seek justice and to reveal the truth. Indeed, ID is honoured to have been chosen to work with The Innocence Project of Texas, and filmmaker Deborah S. Esquenazi to amplify this story, and we’re humbled by the strength and perseverance of the San Antonio Four throughout this fight.”