▁prisoners ▁are ▁either ▁not ▁war ned ▁of ▁their ▁imp ending ▁execution ▁or ▁are ▁not ified ▁only ▁on ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁the ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁execution . ▁Their ▁families ▁are ▁informed ▁later ▁so ▁they ▁can ▁collect ▁the ▁cor pse ▁for ▁cre m ation . ▁ ▁In ▁prison , ▁M enda ▁converted ▁to ▁Christian ity ▁and ▁began ▁reading ▁the ▁Bible ▁and ▁trans cri bing ▁books ▁into ▁Bra ille . ▁ ▁Ret rial ▁M enda ▁submitted ▁six ▁pet itions ▁for ▁ret rial ▁although ▁initially ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁access ▁to ▁a ▁lawyer . ▁The ▁Fu ku oka ▁District ▁High ▁Court ▁ruled ▁on ▁the ▁re open ing ▁of ▁the ▁case ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁ret rial ▁began ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁The ▁ret rial ▁allowed ▁records ▁that ▁proved ▁his ▁al ib i ▁to ▁be ▁submitted , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁statement ▁from ▁a ▁witness ▁saying ▁that ▁she ▁had ▁li ed ▁under ▁dur ess . ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁after ▁ 8 0 ▁jud ges ▁had ▁been ▁involved , ▁the ▁court ▁delivered ▁the ▁ver dict ▁of ▁an ▁acqu itt al ▁based ▁on ▁determ ination ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁f als ely ▁conf essed ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁pro sec ution ▁had ▁failed ▁to ▁disc lose ▁ex cul pat ory ▁evidence ▁to ▁M enda ' s ▁law y ers ▁prior ▁to ▁his ▁trial . ▁The ▁court ▁acknowled ged ▁that ▁the ▁police ▁had ▁conce aled ▁his ▁al ib i ▁showing