The documentary · Production underway

A fight for justice. A legacy of truth.

In December 1997, a fatal altercation outside a Rhode Island nightclub led to Jorge M. DePina's arrest and later conviction. Disputed claim His family maintains the case involved corruption and a miscarriage of justice.

Jorge was paroled and released in 2020. He now lives in Cape Verde.

Explore the story Documentary teaser — coming soon

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Our mission

Preserving the record.

This family-led project brings together Jorge’s story, court records, material recovered from the original advocacy website, and documentary footage. The only material not recovered from the old website was the audio transcripts.

Learn more about the case →

63 pages

Recovered legal record (DEPINA-7-25-17.pdf)

Court record

7 pages

Archived FailedJustice1997.com pages recovered

Contemporary reporting

3 proceedings

Court decisions documented in this archive so far (2002, 2013, 2016)

Court record

Open call

Witnesses, attorneys, journalists, and material holders are invited to contact the project

Personal testimony

Explore the timeline

The record, from the beginning.

Dates below are drawn from the project's planning documents and are pending final verification against primary sources before publication.

View timeline

1997
A death follows fights outside Club International; arrests, then charges.
Contemporary reporting
1998
Trial held.
Court record
2002
Direct appeal decided: DePina's and Monteiro's judgments affirmed; Teixeira's conspiracy judgment affirmed and murder conviction vacated.
Court record
2003
Maria DePina speaks publicly: This is like a crime.
Personal testimony
2013
Court decides a medical-record discovery request.
Court record
2016
Post-conviction application denied and dismissed; decision documents witnesses, disputed police contacts, evidence issues, and credibility findings.
Court record
2020
Jorge is paroled and released. He now lives in Cape Verde.
Personal testimony
2025
Documentary filming and archive work continue.
Personal testimony

Audio archive updates
The grand jury and bail hearing audio will be uploaded at a later time. The audio transcripts were the only material not recovered from the original website.

Read the source notes

From the archive

News & Articles

Read coverage of Jorge’s case and accounts preserved from the original advocacy archive.

SouthCoast Today · December 29, 1997

Three Mass. men charged in murder

Contemporary reporting on the arrests following the December 1997 incident.

Read the article ↗

Socialist Worker · May 2, 2003

“This is like a crime”

A published letter by John Osmand about the case, including Maria DePina’s words about her son and her continuing fight.

Read the article ↗

Caught.net · Advocacy archive

Jorge’s account of the case

A preserved advocacy page containing Jorge’s first-person account and statements from supporters.

Read the account ↗

Press & documentary inquiries

1997 · Media Kit

A Sincere M Visuals Documentary · Based on a True Story

About the documentary

1997 follows Jorge M. DePina’s story through his perspective, family accounts, court records, recovered archive material, and new footage. Production is underway, with a pre-trailer forthcoming.

Jorge was arrested in December 1997. His trial was in 1998. He was paroled and released in 2020 and now lives in Cape Verde.

Open printable press sheet ↗

Press assets

Documentary title artwork and production credits for coverage of 1997. Please preserve the artwork’s wording and credit Sincere M Visuals.

Download title artwork Download media kit text

Contact & interviews

For press questions, interview requests, and documentary inquiries, contact the project.

jmdepina3@gmail.com Instagram · @jorgemdepina_lives ↗

1997 — Documentary in production. Pre-trailer coming soon. A Sincere M Visuals Documentary, based on a true story.

The documentary

A story they tried to bury.

The documentary follows Jorge’s story through the family’s perspective, court records, recovered website material, and new footage. Jorge was paroled and released in 2020 and now lives in Cape Verde. Production is underway, with a pre-trailer coming soon.

Get notified Watch teaser — coming soon

Join the conversation

Share a message for Jorge or a thought about the documentary. Please keep comments respectful and avoid posting private information.

Join the movement

Stay connected to the archive.

Get updates on the documentary and newly published archive material. If you were present, represented a party, reported on the case, or hold photographs, tapes, or documents, the project wants to hear from you.

Instagram · @jorgemdepina_lives

Contact the project

jmdepina3@gmail.com

For documentary inquiries or to share information about the case, email Jorge.