On April 8, 2014, Cordaryl Silva, then 26, was convicted of the May 12, 2012, murder of Javon Zimmerman, who was 22 at the time he was killed. Silva maintained that he did not do it and knew who did. But he refused to name the person whom he maintained was actually guilty. He asked the judge presiding over the trial for a 63-year prison sentence. He was facing 25 to 60 years for the murder conviction and three years for a probation violation. He was sentenced to 50 years.

Roughly 20 years into that sentence, Silva is still attempting to follow through on a promise he made shortly before he was sentenced:.

“Give me the whole 63. I’m not going to do half of it.” Silva told superior court judge Denise Markle shortly before he was sentenced, referring to his belief that he could clear his name on appeal.

Silva has been raising several concerns since he was convicted. The first involves irregularities with his trial, where Silva was prevented from firing his lawyer, who he claims did not properly brief him on the case against him or make arguments he believed more strongly showed his innocence, and acting in his own defense. The second involves a line of questioning that a lawyer who represented Silva during his first appeal says should not have been allowed.

And last is evidence Silva uncovered through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that he says shows the Derby Police Department, which investigated Zimmerman’s murder, did not properly follow protocol, leading them to ignore evidence that exonerates him.