From Death Row

In 2000, a group of inmates known as the Texas 7 escaped from the Connally Prison Unit in Karnes County, leading to one of the largest manhunts in Texas history. Eleven days after their escape, members of the group fatally shot an Irving, TX police officer. Joseph Garcia, a member of the group, did not actively participate in the murder. However, under the controversial Texas Law of Parties, a non-shooter accomplice can be held just as criminally liable as the shooter. The Texas 7 were captured, and all were sentenced to death. Joseph Garcia's execution date was set for December 4, 2018.

Texas Public Radio reporter David Martin Davies interviewed Garcia and recorded video of the interview. I was contracted to edit the video and incorporate various assets, including old TV news reports, an interview with the executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, and an episode of "On Death Row" where Werner Herzog interviews Garcia. I faced challenging parameters, including incorporating parts of every asset, adding bold on-screen captions, and avoiding the use of the reporter's voice or image. I worked to build a story that presented Garcia's humanity and explored the ethical issues surrounding the Texas Law of Parties and reports that chemical executions might cause extreme pain.

As of now, the video is the second most viewed on TPR's YouTube channel with over 217,000 views. I'm proud of the work I did with the TPR team and the public response to the video. In retrospect, I would have improved the visual design and captioning and advocated for including the reporter's voice and image to create a stronger connection with the audience and integrate better with the radio broadcast.

The Vietnam Tankers Oral History Project and its YouTube channel are dedicated to preserving the personal stories of U.S. Marine tankers who served during the Vietnam War. By conducting detailed interviews, the project captures firsthand accounts of their experiences, challenges, and the lasting impacts of their service. These oral histories provide a valuable historical resource, highlighting the significant yet often overlooked role of tank units in the war. The YouTube channel features these stories, offering an engaging platform that has accumulated over 98,000 hours of viewing time from more than 470,000 viewers across 40 countries. The comment sections are highly engaged, serving as spaces where veterans and their families can reconnect and build on each other’s stories, fostering a supportive and interactive community. This initiative ensures that the memories and contributions of Vietnam War tankers are preserved for future generations.

I have been working with the Marines on this project for over ten years, meeting with them every two years to document their oral histories. I use these recordings to create content for their YouTube channel. We are currently in the process of permanently archiving these oral histories with the Texas Tech Vietnam Archive.

In 2015, I produced a short documentary, 'Mothers and Children in Detention,' for NOWCastSA, capturing the plight of mothers and children fleeing violence in Central America. As they arrived at the Texas border seeking asylum, many found themselves placed in for-profit detention facilities. Through sources in Catholic Charities and the Interfaith Coalition, we learned that many mothers had gone on hunger strike in detention to protest their unjust treatment. Some were released and found refuge in San Antonio's interfaith communities.

We were invited to document the stories of these mothers and their children. This was a challenging task as the mothers spoke various Central American languages. With the help of volunteer translators, we interviewed three mothers. I filmed these interviews alongside my mentor, seasoned reporter Charlotte-Anne Lucas. We sought interviews with ICE and GEO Group representatives, but they declined. Unable to film the facilities, I obtained footage made available to journalists by the Department of Homeland Security.

Charlotte-Anne and I crafted a narrative script, which she voiced. I edited the interviews and b-roll together to tell the story. While I am proud of the work we did on this project, in retrospect, I would have enriched it further with additional interviews from politicians, subject matter experts, and community members supporting the mothers.

'Train in Vain' is a short documentary exploring the lives of modern-day train hoppers and hobos. The film follows young individuals who choose to travel by train, each for their own unique reasons. Some are drawn by the beauty of travel, while others reject conventional society and the capitalist system. The series reveals the challenges, dangers, and beauty of life on the rails, emphasizing that every rider has their own story and motivation.

'Train in Vain' was my first attempt at telling true stories. While rough around the edges, this initial project convinced me that everyone has a story worth listening to and that talking to people and meeting them where they are is an adventure.

Watch additional interviews and a music video with more riders here: Train in Vain Playlist.

The 'Looking for a Leader' series featured interviews and commentary on candidates for mayor in the 2015 and 2017 San Antonio mayoral races. I partnered with three Texas Public Radio reporters to interview and profile the top candidates for San Antonio Mayor. Each candidate was featured in a radio segment, an article, and a video online. Our 2015 coverage was awarded the Houston Press Club's 1st Place Lone Star Award for Public Affairs reporting.

The Edge: news that may have flown under your radar, a look at what you can expect people to be talking about next week, and the links to share it all.

The Edge was a short-form newscast that I co-hosted, highlighting local news and stories around San Antonio, TX. We created The Edge to distill the many stories from the NOWCastSA website and to connect our audience with stories that may not have made it into the headlines. In collaboration with the news director, Charlotte-Anne Lucas, I helped to script, shoot, and edit the weekly show.