Who is Dennis Salerno ?

Dennis Michael Salerno, called "Sal" by everyone who knows him, is serving two life sentences : life with possibility of parole (hearing in 2032) in Ohio for aggravated murder, and life without parole for and"Open murder " conviction in Michigan. He has been incarcerated since July 8, 2000. He was wrongly convicted in Michigan and both cases turned on made up testimony of a jail inmate who was around him for eight days. Sal's mother, Judee, was married many times. His supposed biological father, Pete, turned out not to be, and each step father's feigned interest quickly turned into abuse. The last step father was R. When Sal was fifteen years old, he, his step brother R.Jr,  and step sister K., were left with R.for a week and a half while Judee went somewhere. In her absence, R. chose to physically assault Sal; this time, though, would be the first time Sal would hit him back.  When Judee returned, on the day of his birthday, she went directly to Sal's bedroom. She spoke calmly, and slowly, and said she had to choose between Sal and R. and she said her choice was easy to make. She said she could not leave R. because she had R.Jr. And K. with R., she told Sal she has a life and a family. Judee then repeated something she had said before, that she had never wanted Sal to be born anyway. She told Sal he had five minutes to get out of her house or she would call the police.   He didn't know where to go. He had no money. No car. No clothes. No food. Nothing. The first place he went was to Patty's house; she was his girlfriend at the time. Her parents liked Sal and let him stay the night, but would not let him stay while he figured out what to do; He had to leave the next day.    Sal called his Grandmother and she let him stay with her for a few days. That should say... Larry, who lied four blocks from Judee, agreed to let him stay here. That way he could stay in school, and he could be around his four cousins. Sal slept on the floor between the back of the couch and the wall. It was kind for his uncle to let him stay, but there was no real connection. In reality it was a place to sleep and hang out.  Patty told Sal his situation was not ideal, so she broke up with him. Sal got back together with his previous girlfriend, C., but she went away and joined the Navy. He was alone, and his teenage mind needed to find a way to connect, to start anew, so he decided to drive to New Jersey where he believed he would reconnect with the people he thought were his family in New Jersey, and by extension, Philadelphia. It didn't quite turn out that way.​