Painting a New Life for Giselle

Ileana Gutierrez is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Giselle Guitierrez.

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"If you cannot find a way, create one"~ Giselle

“This case really is the case that we came to work for, this is the case that we decided to go to law school for, take the bar for, applied to be a judge for...The court finds that the finding of guilt that the jury made in this case was in fact technically correct, but there are other things that must be looked at. Facts that as human beings we need to look at and realize.” - the Judge at the re-sentencing hearing

"Giselle's father and brother encouraged Giselle to tell the police the truth. They thought that because Giselle was a minor and didn't actually shoot anyone, he wouldn't be in trouble. Giselle says he felt like he was doing the right thing when he detailed everything he knew about the night of the shooting...How he was driving his brother's car on the highway and that Guero twice shot at other vehicles from the passenger's seat but that he (Giselle) was scared and didn't know anyone had been injured... He unknowinlgy incriminated himself by confirming that Guero was responsible for both shootings... Four days later, Adams County District Attorney charged Giselle with first degree murder, and first degree assault...Giselle was 17 years old, and faced a steep mandatory prison sentence: life without the possibility of parole" (Chris Outcalt, January 5280, "Still Life").

....IT HAS BEEN 19 YEARS....
Who is Giselle Gutierrez-Ruiz?
~An artist
~A philanthropist
~A brother,
~An uncle
~A member of a community that misses him dearly and needs him home
~A survivor
~The definition of rehabilitation and growth

Life in Rancho Ruices, Chihuaha, Mexico (1979-1995)
Giselle lived in a safe, protected environment surrounded by the love of his mother and the support of a small, rural community. Giselle lead a happy, healthy, and pro-social life.

A much different life in Denver (1995-1997)
The sudden death of Giselle's mother and his forced relocation to the United States were extremely traumatic for Giselle. In Denver, Giselle encountered cultural and language barriers, inconsistent familial support and structure, lack of knowledge regarding American culture and laws, and disconnect from school and other pro-social activities. Giselle was naive and defenseless; lacking family guidance and protection from his family.

Before the Crime:
1997, at the age of seventeen, during this period of tremendous grief, loss and familial neglect, Giselle began associating with an older individual whom he only knew as "Huero" (Abel Martinez-Sanchez). Giselle did not know Abel well and was extremely naive when it came to the consequences of negative peer influences and perceived risks. Tragedy resulted.

Finding Purpose in Life:
"The impact of my sentence is what has given me the motivation and inspiration to become the artist that I am today" (Giselle 2012).
"I became a man in the depths of darkness...They stepped on my heart without giving me time to understand...I now understand that life needs to be respected and I began to respect everything that lives - from the greatest power to the smallest being. This understanding helped me see in the darkness" (Giselle 2015).

Making Dreams Come True:
Since 2012, Giselle has had a dream to donate money to children suffering from cancer. "I realized I can give my time to another being, a being who does not have any time left" (Giselle 2015). Giselle has participated in three "Chained Voices" art shows over the past year and a half, selling over forty paintings for close to $4,500, most of which he donated to the Children's Hospital to help children and their families impacted by pediatric cancer. Giselle requested minimal proceeds to purchase more art supplies, so he could create more paintings, and donate more money.

Restorative Justice:
Giselle created a painting for the victim of the crime's widow to express his remorse for the situation; he hoped that the painting might help her heal. She says that she looks at the painting everyday and sees something new. She continues to hope and pray that Giselle be given a second chance.

"My Inner Voice":
Today I asked myself, "Why do things happen?"
In silence, my inner voice responded, "Every seed that has the opportunity to be born in this marvelous life has its own time".
In Silence, I asked my inner voice why I felt pain. It responded, "Look at your body!" I calmly observed every part of my body and did not find a single wound.
Again, my inner voice responded and explained that my mind was the one that felt pain. It asked me to drink water that came from wisdom in order to heal it. For a momen, I could not understand. I just closed my eyes and dove into the river of life. With my eyes closed, my soul continued to float in the river of life without worrying where it was headed to. The current was steering the wheel of my being. What good would id do if I worried? I was no longer in control of the steering wheel. The current continued to drag my soul and elt me drink from its sweet waters. Never again did I feel pain. Now my sould is the water of life.
-Giselle

"Love is what motivates me. I have it inside my heart, and I share it through my art." (Giselle 2014)

"I am still a human being...Even though I am still behind these walls, I carry with me the illusions of living a normal life - the dreams and hopes that everyone in society carries. Sometimes even these don't work out - a lot of people let these things bring them down. I am different! I take these downfalls and turn them into inspirations for my paintings. It makes me happy inside and a better artist." (Giselle 2014)