Convicted killer asks for conviction to be overturned after written confession

FRESNO, Calif. -- Patricia Perez, who was convicted of killing Lawrence Ballesteros because he was a sex offender, is asking for her conviction to be vacated after her co-defendant's full written confession.

David Barrera confessed to the 2012 murder of Ballesteros in a handwritten letter, saying Perez had nothing to do with it.

Ballesteros had hid the fact that he was a registered sex offender from his neighbors and landlords in Southwest Fresno. But when a sex offender sweep gave him away, he disappeared for a couple weeks. The day he came back, he turned up dead -- stabbed 58 times. His body was dumped near Chandler Airport in Southwest Fresno.

In 2014, Perez was sentenced to 26 years to life in prison. Perez was convicted in March along with David Barrera of Fresno for the stabbing of Ballesteros in 2012. Barrera is also serving a life sentence.

On March 9th, Barrera sent the following letter to Perez' attorney Randy Kravis: