This originally aired on The Final Straw radio show.

April 20th marks the 23rd anniversary of my arrest. The 8,168th day of continuous captivity for a crime I did not commit. [please see: details of sean’s case, including trial documents, photographs, etc.]

My case:

Back in 1991,I shared an apartment with Diane Cisternas and her two children from a prior relationships. Andrew Crouch was the father of one of them. Crouch had previously lit Diane’s hair on fire and kicked her down the steps while she was pregnant;he got away with that and more because his aunt Collette Crouch was Clerk of Courts.

On April 20th Diane and Crouch argued on the phone about visitation and she told Crouch she was taking the kids and leaving; they would not be there. Crouch later arrived at the apartment without a car seat for his infant son. He saw that my car was gone, so he knew Diane and the kids were not there. Also he had a stomach full of alcohol. Unless he planned to toss his infant son in the trunk and swerve drunkenly down the highway, he was not there to pick up the kids.

Police later claimed there was no break in. Police photos of my shredded door frame, the deadbolt plate ripped loose from the screws,door shrapnel all over the floor and a boot print visible on the outside of the door. [this surfaced four years later]

After kicking in my door. Crouch yelled that he would blow my head off, and reached behind his back. I stabbed him several times in a panic. Police said he was not armed. Police also said there was no break-in.

They life-flighted Crouch’s body to a coroner three counties away. Dr Elizabeth testified that I ambushed Crouch from behind… until another coroner looked over my case and threatened to expose her and then she admitted Crouch and I faced each other the whole time, just as I have always said.

Diane Cisterna’s said I wrote a book about how to kill people and that she threw my “grenade”in the lake. Police had my writings- no book; and divers found nothing but hubcaps and beer cans- but thet did not stop Diane’s testimony. A year to the day after I was wrongly convicted Diane burned her moms house down while her mom slept in the back room. Said demons made her do it. Never spent a day in prison. So, if you are interested in  get-rich schemes, developing a beach body, and hearing about Jesus, get with demon Diane, but keep her away from the gas and matches.

But the crucial testimony came from Amy Peters, who said she saw Crouch arrive at my apartment at a time when other state witnesses placed Crouch at least ten minutes away. She claimed she saw a shadowy figure in the upstairs window line. Crouch up to the apartment and that twenty minutes passed before  the ambulance arrived.
Remember the State said I was a murderous lunitic- demon Diane said so. I lured Crouch to the apartment to pick up his kids, without a car seat in his car. There was no break in- since police with-held the photo’s proving otherwise. And I ambushed  Crouch from behind…..until the coroner got caught lying. Now, with this twenty minute gap that Amy Peters recounted, The State says I left Crouch bleeding to death for twenty minutes.
Two problems here: First, unless Amy Peters could see around buildings and into dark, second story apartments through insulation plastic, rain condensation and by her testimony, closed curtains and blinds, Amy Peters did not see anything in any window. Second, Crouch had alcohol in his stomach , but not in his blood stream., so he died within five minutes of drinking of drinking that alcohol. That being the case, we have to discount Amy Peters twenty minute time frame, unless we accept that fifteen minutes after being fatally stabbed, Crouch laid on my floor, washing down what appears to be a burger and fries with a bottle of liquor. I think it goes without saying- that did not happen.

Five minutes before he died, Crouch slugged down alcohol.

He arrived at my apartment without a car seat because he will not be picking up his kids. As with held police photo’s show, he left a boot print on my door and wood shrapnel on the floor. We were face to face and I stabbed him in a panic. I called for help immediately.

Self defense just as I claimed. Not murder.

That was 23 years ago.

I’ve been held 8,162 consecutive days….and counting…and counting…For more about my case and my struggle for freedom go to seanswain.org, free sean swain on FB or email me at 243205sean@gmail.com.

This is anarchist prisoner Sean Swain at Ohio’s supermax facility. If you can hear the sound of my voice,YOU ARE THE RESISTANCE!