Yes, Shaun Rodrigues in "Innocent" he is a victim of "Mistaken Identity" so wrongly accused of a crime that he did not commit.  The following reporters describes the facts of this case, after you read the articles one's thoughts may be "how can this be? How can this happen?

"Justice Not Served in Shaun Rodrigues Doubt-Ridden Conviction" by Mr. Gregory Hino, Hawaii Reporter.com September 4, 2006

"Rodrigues Conviction Was Hardly Convincing", by Mr. Robert Rees, Honolulu Advertiser, September 19, 2004

"Nagging Questions Remain In Rodrigues Case" , by Mr. Jim Borg, Honolulu Star Bulletin, January 15, 2006

With over 287 letters of support from family, friends, and supports of Shaun, a man who is a great father, a great husband, college educated, a dedicated associate in his field of work, a strong Christian, no history of crime, violence or drugs, passed a polygraph test, was willing to give up his life for his country actually being deployed to go to Iraq war, but discharged from the National Guard because of all the media attention and sentenced to 20 years on the same day within an hour apart from each other. We ask why, all because of a photograph? Does this mean anyone can go to prison just based on a photograph with doubtful assurance that the accusers mistakenly accused the wrong man. Yes indeed, Shaun Rodrigues is a victim of our justice sysemt", a victim of mistaken identity".

Just imagine the mind of an "Innocent Man In Prison", there is tremendous fear, fear of the unknown having not being brought up in any environment of such, having not experienced any incarceration of such. How does it feel to be caged human, how does it feel to be chained up, being in solitary for the first 30 days, asking God, "why me?", am I the sacrificial lamb? What have I done to deserve this"?. Not seeing the sun for 30 days, minimal exercise, a structured enviroment, when you can eat, when you can watch TV, when you can go the the bathroom, when you can sleep, rooming with other convicted individuals,not seeing our child, wife, or family not having contact, talking through a glass plate window on a phone. Imagine this if it was you, you have no rights. On one visit because of a mix up in time schedules his mother, his wife and child were allowed a special contact visit, he said" I am so happy to see you guys, Mom this is the first time I have seen the sun in 30 days", it's really hard in solitary, if you are not strong  you can have a nervous breakdown, all you really have is the 4 walls to talk to and stare at.

The ordeal of just going to the prison for visitation is so emotionally draining, everyday we anxiously wait for his long distance call on a daily basis, when he doesn't call we start to worry, is there a lock down, did someone get hurt, did someone get killed or beaten, did he get into trouble, was there an unannounced movement, a shakedown? We call weekly to see if there is any visitation, you have to be there at a certain time, you cannot come out of your car until a certain time, then you have to check, there is a big difference between high security and medium security, in the high your have priority visitation, in medium you wait, you have to be called in by groups and the color of the pass you are holding. Upon being called you get searched, must follow a strict dress code, then proceed to go through big metal doors where the visiting room is. Now that he is in medium security we are allowed to have contact visits. His son often asks "when is Dad coming home?" Shaun often asks " I wish I could be home to see my son grow up, he is getting big so fast". Just seeing him on a weekly basis feels like we have never seen each other in a long while, our whole schedule and lifestyle is based on his visitation and his daily phone calls. This is some of the many emotions that builds up during the course of the week and of course the hardest thing is when we have to say "bye" we always say, we love you, don't get into any trouble, see you next week, it just gets so emotional, your eyes tear up, Shaun's eyes tears up especially when he has to see his wife and son leave, you start to breathe deeper, "because we care, and we all know he is innocent and not even capable of committing any kine of crime" Yes imagine if this is your child. Our mission is to set him free, and clear his name.

Shaun's uncle and brother says it all in the following 2 articles "System Has Jailed An Innocent Man", Honolulu Star Bulletin, January 29, 2006

The article on Shaun Rodrigues case clearly exposes serious flaws in our Hawaii judicial system (Nagging questions remain in Rodrigues case", Insight Jan. 15) The people we've elected to keep our streets safe and provide justice in our courts have failed us.

Rodrigues was "guilty" as soon as Dianne and Dawn Sugihara identified him from a photo. Diane Sugihara did not recognize that the man in the photo as the same person who had installed a home alarm one week earlier. That is until the detective conveniently pointed it out. She did not have her contact lenses in at the time of the robbery and even admitted later that she did not get a good look at the intruder. Dawn Sugihara only had a two-to Five second glance at the suspect. Yet the prosecuting attorney continually proclaimed that the sugiharas were "credible witnesses". This was enough evidence for Judge Crandall to convict and sentence Rodrigues to 20 years in prision.

He was convicted without any pysical evidence linking him to the crime. The finger print lifted from the jewelry case was not his. The intensive police search of the house came up empty. The testimony from the family members was disregarded, as were the results from multiple lie detector test taken by Shaun and his mother that showed both were telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Tragically, an innocent man is in prison for a crime that he obiously did not commit. By Durwin Tanimoto, Honolulu.

"Hawaii is a State of Injustice for Rodrigues", Honolulu Star Bulletin, March 21, 2006

If the people of Hawaii are satisfied with our justice system then something is awfully wrong with our society. The fact that an innocent person is being incarcerated for a crime he did not do is immoral, and it is terrifying to know that at any monent an innocent man can be taken away.  The system fails to abide by it's pledge "to protect and serve", the real criminals are still at large making a mockery of the system that supposedly upholds justice.

The fact that the people in blue and the individual in the black robe go throught the motions to procecue innocent individuals without any facts or any evidence is a state of injustice.

My brother's name is Shaun Rodrigues and he is a victim of mistaken identity, an innocent person incarcerated for a crime he did not do.  Royce Kurihara-Kailua

Thank you all for your support and well wishes. If any one needs more inforamtion, please feel free to address all your inquires to akurihara@aol.com  please pass on this message to others. go to our web site:  shaunrodriguesisinnocent.citymaker.com  Please we need your help in freeing an innocent man.

A message from his wife

My name if Chasadie Rodrigues, and yes, I am proud to say that I'm married to Shaun Rodrigues and we share a son name Christopher. I met Shaun in the middle of 2002. I wasn't aware about his situation, until he told me what was going on with his life. You know, I can't understand how a picture says that Shaun doing something that horrible to someone. I see Shaun as a well mannered man, who respects a person and cares for people. He would help a person, if they are in need of help. He is so loved by his family, and that they are fighting this long for his freedom.

Shaun is being called a monster for someone else's wrong doing. Shaun is a loving person who would not harm or put anyone in harms way. He is a loving father who is there always for his son. The hardest thing right now for us is telling my son his daddy is not coming home and we don't know when. Shaun is a loving brother, who spends time and helps his brother. He is aloving son, who helps his parents in every way that he can. Shaun is far from being a monster; instead he is a just a loving person who tries to help anyone who needs help.

Shaun was once a proud solider, who which he served in the Hawaii Army  National Guard. He looked forward to every drill and annual training. He loved oing his job being a solider and working side by side with his fellow soliders. Shaun was to be deployed out to Iraq, to join in with the rest of the solider. Instead people thought that he was going to run from his problems, he would never run away from any of his problems especially if he knows he is innocent  of a crime. The military dismissed him, because they did not want any attention by the media or anyone else. His life and everything that he worked hard for has been striped away from him right before his eyes.

The people also say he is a big threat to the community. I can tell you for a fact that he is no threat to anyone. See when I met Shaun, my family that knew of him told me to stay away, because of the crime that he was being accused for. He never done anything to hurt me or put me in any danger. He was welcomed by my parents Lawrence and Marshell Sanchez. And when the rest of my family got to know him, they finally knew that Shaun wasn't the person who did the crime.

Everyone knows that the Hawaii system is wrong. Shaun is being mistaken for resembling someone else's reflection. There are so many people who look like each other now days, that the wrong people are going to jail for someone else. While the actual person who did this is out continuing to do the crime. While you have an innocent man behind the prison walls are bars, the real criminal is out robbing some other house and laughing while he does his crime, because the system made a wrong mistake and took in the wrong person. Please find it in your hearts to say you have the wrong person. Pride is everything, but an innocent man's freedom is more.

Sincerely, Chasadie Rodrigues.

Family hopes Web site will help brother

from Star Bulletin Editorial  Dec 18, 2006

As we entered the holiday season, my thoughts were of the many blessings I am surely thankful for -- a loving and supportive family, friendships and renewed relationships. But I also thought of my brother Shaun C. Rodrigues.

Shaun is serving a sentence of a minimum of 12 (out of 20) years for a crime he did not commit. He is not the "Manoa Robber." This January it will be a year since he was taken and sent to prison.

This is his first holiday in all of his life that will be spent away from his family. He still holds his head up as the innocent man falsely accused, unjustly prosecuted and wrongfully convicted. Although this isn't an easy situation to adapt to, I admire his strength and perseverance to remain the humble, respectful person he is, proof that he will never stop being a father to Christopher, his son, and a husband to his wife, who needs him home.

We would like to let the public know of the Web site the family has started through the suggestions of supporters: www.shaunrodriguesisinnocent.citymaker.com. It is our hope to shed light on the inconsistencies of this case and the wrongful conviction of my brother Shaun. Please feel free to share your comments with us through the site.

Shaun continues to exist through the support of his family and friends. We thank those in support of Shaun and his innocence. Your letters and kind words are an inspiration to Shaun and the family. We ask that in your prayers this holiday season, please remember Shaun, his safety and his exoneration.