When Erik Jensen was 17 years old he walked in on his best friend, 16 year old Nathan Ybanez, killing his mother, Julie Ybanez.  Nathan had snapped after years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse at the hands of his parents, and one evening, a fight with his mother became violent.  Erik, who had made several attempts to help Nathan over the past year, called a friend over ,after witnessing the crime, and the three attempted to clean the crime scene.  Nathan was discovered the next day in a nearby park dazed next to his mother’s body.  He was charged as an adult with first degree murder.  Erik and the other friend, Brett Baker, were subsequently arrested and charged with accessory after the fact.  Soon after, Brett struck a deal with the prosecution implicating Erik in the murder of Nathan’s mother. Brett’s accessory charges as well as previous unrelated charges were dismissed.  Erik was charged with first degree murder along with Nathan. 

Erik’s trial was held a few months after the Columbine massacre, where two young men from the same area in Colorado, as well as the same age as Erik, killed several classmates at their school.  This act greatly influenced the country, especially Coloradans, view of kids and violent crime.  Needless to say, Erik was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole along with Nathan.  Over a decade later, we are beginning to change our views on juveniles, exploring their mental development and just how much abuse can affect that development.  We are beginning to realize children need to be held to more lenient standards than adults, not the opposite.  Through the years of his incarceration, Erik has grown to become a model prisoner, and a tremendous human being. We hope, with your help, we can give him a second chance.