Summer of Strangers: Franky Carrillo: Life

Franky Carrillo was 16 when he received a double life sentence for a crime he had nothing to do with. This is his story. It's one of the most beloved Strangers stories of all time, and it will be the first of three episodes about Franky Carrillo's life, including a brand new one.

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Since this story aired, Franky has finished his degree in sociology from Loyola Marymount University, and he has become a leading voice for the wrongfully convicted, serving as Chief Policy Advisor for the Los Angeles Innocence Project and sitting on the boards of organizations including Death Penalty Focus and the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. Franky has also served on the Los Angeles County Probation Oversight Commission. After the first two stories about Franky aired on Strangers, his case gained wider public attention when he was featured as one of eight exonerees profiled in the Netflix docuseriesThe Innocence Files. You can find him on instagram.

This week, our Summer of Strangers is curated by Glynn Washington of Snap Judgment and Spooked. Glynn picked Franky’s story among his other favorite Strangers stories, which have aired in adapted versions on Snap. They include A Father’s Story – Then & Now, Henry & Jane, Falling Slowly, Terry’s Treasure, and Man on Fire. To unlock all those episodes and 90 more, become a paying subscriber on Patreon (or on Substack, though these links go to Patreon).

Thanks to KCRW for funding the original production of this story and the first two seasons of Strangers. You can stream them on the KCRW site or app, and you can find their podcasts wherever you listen, including the Sam Sanders Show and Question Everything by renowned producer Brian Reed.

Thanks, as always, to my associate producer, Vix Jensen, and our intern, Aviva Barry, and thanks to Heather Kitching for making our promo reels, and to Jen Alevizos for helping out. Also big thanks to Paul Dreux Smith for making some of the music for this episode and helping me mix.

Last but certainly not least, thanks to all of you for listening and for being my very best stranger-friends.

Members: Don’t miss our next hangout: Monday, August 31, 5:00 PM PT – 6:00 PM MT – 7:00 PM CT – 8:00 PM ET – 1:00 AM (Tues) BST – 2:00 AM (Tues) CEST – 10:00 AM (Tues) AEST. Check your email for reminders + the link.

See you all next week!

The entire back catalogue of Strangers can be found at STORIES by Lea Thau on Patreon and Substack, where you can also find my new work in its entirety, all of it ad-free. You can join as a free or paid member, so come be part of my community! Or follow my new work in my new public feed, STORIES by Lea Thau, which you can find wherever you get your podcasts.

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