Stolen Lives

The feature documentary Stolen Lives tells the incredible story of Sunny Jacobs (USA) and Peter Pringle (Ireland), the only married couple who were, separately, accused of killing two cops, sentenced to death, and exonerated. Now, their shared calling and life’s work is to rehabilitate fellow exonerees vis-à-vis The Sunny Center, a charity they set up with outposts in Florida and Connemara.

When: Monday, May 4 | 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Where: Abramson Family Auditorium, NYU Global Academic Center (1307 L St NW, Washington, DC)

Tickets: Free, with registration

Program Overview:

6:30 PM – Film screening (105 minutes)

8:15 PM – Remarks and Q&A with Director Mark Mc Loughlin

Stolen Lives tells Sunny’s and Peter’s tragic and triumphant life stories from a deeply human perspective. Sunny spent 17 years on death row in the USA, and Peter was the last man sentenced to death in Ireland in 1980, serving 15 years in prison. They were both accused of murdering two policemen in separate incidences – Sunny on a highway in Florida during a routine search, and Peter at a bank robbery in the west of Ireland. Since meeting in 1998

We hear in Sunny’s and Peter’s own words how their lives – revealed in all their complexities and contradictions – unfolded to the point where they were each convicted of a capital crime they did not commit. In both cases, they fell victim to justice systems founded on questionable policy and procedure – systems that nearly claimed their lives but for their own personal convictions and drive, though not before the gruesome botched execution of Sunny’s former husband on the electric chair.

Alongside telling the dramatic story of Sunny and Peter’s fights – nearly to the death – with the flawed justice systems that stole their freedom, Stolen Lives is an exploration of the human psyche; of resilience in the face of despair; and of how extreme situations can push individuals beyond their insecurities and most unrelenting vices to achieve greater things than they ever thought possible.

Mark Mc Loughlin, an award-winning Irish documentary filmmaker with a diverse background in contemporary art and music. He is a qualified journalist and sound engineer, as well as an accomplished musician and artist. In recent years, he has focused on documentary production committed to creating distinctive documentaries and broadcast television programs that address complex and vibrant contemporary issues focusing on human rights.

Dara Jauch is an Irish producer and editor with extensive experience in documentary filmmaking. She holds a BA in Communication Studies from Dublin City University and a Higher Diploma in Broadcast Production from Kerry College. As a co-producer and editor at Bang Bang Teo she has contributed to documentaries focusing on human rights, art, culture, and music for broadcasters such as RTÉ, BBC, and TG4.

Credits

Stolen Lives – Credits

CONTRIBUTORS

Sunny Jacobs

Peter Pringle

Uriah Courtney

Joseph Frey

Derrick Jamison

Esteven Pantoja

Dorothy Wheeler

Robert DuBoise

Clemente Javier Aguirre-Jarquin

Larry Golden

Christina Pafero

Thomas Pringle

Tony Kelly

Carol Williams Ransom

Paul Hurt

Krystal Stratton

SueZann Boster

Jo Ann Golden

THANKS TO

Taiwan Innocence Project

Chuang Lin-hsun

Cheng Hsing-tse

Hsieh Chih-hung

Hsinyi Lin

Yun-ching Ko

Innocence Project of Florida

Taiwan Alliance To End The Death Penalty

Witness to Innocence

Seth Miller

Tricia Coscia

Kentucky Innocence Project

Keena Daugherty

Karen Mc Loughlin

Maurice Possley

James Castonguay

Sacred Heart University

Mark Beekey

Gary Delaney

Kenny Baah

SHU Dingle

Kevin Kelly

Marie Harkin

Niall Harkin

Mick O'Dea

Conor Brosnan

Matthias Jauch

Siobhán Ní Bhric

National Registry of Exonerations

Micki Dickoff

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Stolen Lives