Free Chol Soo Lee Yify Apr 2026

: After spending ten years in prison—eight of which were on death row—Lee’s conviction was overturned. He was acquitted during a retrial and released on March 28, 1983. The Aftermath

: In 1977, investigative journalist K.W. Lee wrote a series of articles in the Sacramento Union questioning the investigation's integrity and highlighting racial profiling. Free Chol Soo Lee YIFY

: Police arrested Chol Soo Lee , a 20-year-old Korean immigrant who worked odd jobs in the area. : After spending ten years in prison—eight of

: Lee was identified by three white witnesses who struggled to distinguish Asian faces. The police also linked him to the crime because he had accidentally discharged a similar-caliber gun five days earlier. Despite having no connection to the Chinatown gangs, Lee was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. The Fight for Freedom Lee wrote a series of articles in the

: These articles ignited an unprecedented "pan-Asian" solidarity movement. For the first time, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese Americans united under the Free Chol Soo Lee Defense Committee to raise funds for his legal defense.