Francis Oliver Eiley, better known as Chino, held the official launching of his book, Caged Chronicles / Cries for Justice on Friday, February 19, 2010 right in front of his residence and family restaurant, El Fogon. Chino’s sister Olive Eiley gave the welcome while Gach Guerrero acted as master of ceremonies.Close friend of the family Nellie Gomez spoke on the life of Francis Eiley and retired high school Principal and Godfather of Francis, Angel Nuñez gave a critique of the book.Caged Chronicles is a collection of poems put together by Francis Eiley while he was serving a sentence of life imprisonment in prison for a crime which he and everyone in San Pedro knew he did not commit. (Read more on this week's issue of Ambergris Today)
Francis Eiley arrives in San Pedro after seven long years in jail from a lifetime conviction that was overturned by the Privy Council in London. A very large crowd of family and friends were at the airport to welcome him home. Everybody then moved to El Fogon, where his home is situated. Francis was very happy to see all of his family, some he had not met yet and long time friends. Welcome Home Francis.
Francis Eiley, popularly known as Chino, has been imprisoned for seven years now, but is today a free man. Most people in San Pedro, friends and relatives, strongly believed and knew that Chino was innocent of that horrendous criminal charge trumped up on him by the San Pedro Police and the prosecution. But everyone felt that Chino was innocent and today the justice system has proven all of us right. Chino has been declared innocent of all charges and has been declared a FREE MAN.
The declaration has been officially given to the family of Chino, Norman and Susana Eiley, of San Pedro Town. This has sent rippling waves of emotional happiness and enthusiasm on hundreds of people who have been sympathetic towards Chino and warm hugs and kisses have been pouring on the grieved family who has been crying for justice for the past seven years.
Today, their cries have been transformed into tears of joy and thanksgiving. But relatives and friends are not stopping there. When we visited the Eiley home to share in the happiness, friends were talking about a welcome homecoming to Francis to return to him some of the love and joy that he has been denied for a long time.
So to Chino we say congratulations on your innocence, thank you for your faith in God's goodness and justice, and a salute to your perseverance. For now Ambergris Today and all of San Pedro would like to say: "Forgive the past and move on to greater endeavors".
Francis says he kept in touch with San Pedro through the Ambergris Today Newspaper.
He says the Angels are his favorite feature.
