Wrongful Conviction

In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname.

Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers (who all say they are innocent!) turned jailhouse-lawyers. In prison they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away. They set out to turn the tables on Scarcella while still in prison. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they would succeed.

Thirty years later, more than 20 people Scarcella helped put away have walked free. In the media he’s the “disgraced detective,” the rogue cop who hoodwinked an entire system. 

For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast ... where justice is done (and undone).

Welcome to The Burden.

https://link.chtbl.com/nYQpPnkg

The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On March 8, 2016, Officer Nicholas Blake became suspicious of two vehicles traveling together on Interstate 70 toward Manhattan, KS due to their appearance and registration inconsistencies. He suspected they were involved in drug trafficking, with one acting as a decoy. Following a series of stops and surveillances by multiple law enforcement officers, a considerable amount of marijuana and methamphetamine was found in one of the vehicles leading to the arrest of Donte Westmoreland and others. Westmoreland was convicted based largely on the testimony of an informant, Jacob Gadwood, who claimed to have bought marijuana from Donte, but the informant's credibility was later questioned, and a prosecutorial deal ensuring Gadwood would not be charged with a crime was never disclosed. 

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.lastprisonerproject.org/

https://fromtheearth.com/missouri/independence-menu/?dtche%5Bpath%5D=brands%2Fwest-by-illicit

We started the Wrongful Conviction podcast to provide a voice to innocent people in prison. 

We want to hear your voices, too.

So call us at 833-207-4666 and leave us a message.

Tell us how these powerful, often tragic and sometimes triumphant, stories make you feel.  

Shocked?

Inspired?  

Motivated?

We want to know! 

We may even include your story in a future episode.

And hey, the more of you that join in, the more power our collective voices will have.

So tell a friend to listen and to call us too at 833-207-4666

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leo Schofield’s parole hearing in Tallahassee, FL, April 17th, 2024 with reporting from Gilbert King and Kelsey Decker.

Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Authorities believe Rafael Martinez, his brothers Lorenzo Martinez, Daniel Martinez and Isidoro Medina-DeLeon killed Jose ‘Chino’ Jiminez because Mr. Jiminez shot Mr. Martinez in 1987 in Washington Heights, NY. However, Mr. Jiminez was never killed and is in fact alive and well to this day. Nevertheless, Rafael was convicted of murder and is presently serving consecutive sentences totaling 213 years.

To learn more, visit:

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/181-jason-flom-with-danny-rincon/

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/185-jason-flom-with-pablo-fernandez/

We started the Wrongful Conviction podcast to provide a voice to innocent people in prison. 

We want to hear your voices, too.

So call us at 833-207-4666 and leave us a message.

Tell us how these powerful, often tragic and sometimes triumphant, stories make you feel.  

Shocked?

Inspired?  

Motivated?

We want to know! 

We may even include your story in a future episode.

And hey, the more of you that join in, the more power our collective voices will have.

So tell a friend to listen and to call us too at 833-207-4666

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second season of PROOF:Murder at the Warehousetakes Susan Simpson and Jacinda Davis to Manteca, CA where they reinvestigate the murder of 18-year-old Renee Ramos. On June 5, 2000, Ramos’ body was found buried under a pile of debris inside the shell of a new Home Depot building. Despite tips hinting at alternate suspects - tips that were ignored until now - Renee’s boyfriend, 18-year-old skateboarder Jake Silva, and Ty Lopes, the 33-year-old uncle of one of Jake's close friends were arrested for her murder. The questionable testimony of a 14-year-old boy was the key evidence used to convict them both to life in prison.

Ty Lopes was killed in prison in 2011. Twenty-three years after Renee Ramos was murdered, Jake Silva remains in prison and maintains he is innocent. In season two of PROOF:Murder at the Warehouse, Susan and Jacinda travel the streets of Manteca, reinvestigating the case against Jake and Ty – and in the process uncover long-overlooked evidence about what really happened to Renee.

Follow the case as Susan and Jacinda uncover long overlooked evidence about what really happened to Renee by listening to PROOF:Murder at the Warehouse wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On December 21, 2002, 17-year-old Brian Carrick, a stock boy at Val’s Foods, a grocery store in Johnsburg, IL, was reported missing by his mother. Police determined that one of the last sightings of Carrick was a day earlier, on December 20, when he went to the store to pick up his paycheck. On December 22, police found blood spatter near a cooler used to store produce and a bloody fingerprint on the cooler’s exterior door handle. DNA tests identified the blood spatter near the cooler as Carrick’s. The blood that was on the cooler door handle was identified by DNA testing as belonging to Robert Render, another stock boy at Val’s. But a different stock boy, 19-year-old Mario Casciaro, was charged and sentenced to 26 years in prison for Carrick’s murder.

To learn more, visit:

https://casciarolaw.com/

We started the Wrongful Conviction podcast to provide a voice to innocent people in prison. 

We want to hear your voices, too.

So call us at 833-207-4666 and leave us a message.

Tell us how these powerful, often tragic and sometimes triumphant, stories make you feel.  

Shocked?

Inspired?  

Motivated?

We want to know! 

We may even include your story in a future episode.

And hey, the more of you that join in, the more power our collective voices will have.

So tell a friend to listen and to call us too at 833-207-4666

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early morning hours of June 15, 1979, 17-year-old Amer Zada’s truck stalled out near the waterfront in Nyack, NY. While he waited for a ride, Amer discovered the body of Shirley Smith behind a dumpster in a restaurant parking lot. Minutes later, police arrived on the scene. Amer was thrown into the cruiser, arrested and charged with sexual assault and murder. Evidence proving his innocence was never turned over to his trial attorney.  “I guess the first time the reality of my situation hit me was the day of my sentencing, when they gave me 25 to life,” Amer remembers. “I just fell apart. I can still feel that feeling right now in my heart.”

https://www.gofundme.com/f/innocent-man-released-from-prison-after-41-years

https://www.deskovicfoundation.org/

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On March 14, 1998, Anthony Galati was found murdered along the side of a road in Rancho Cordova, CA. The case went cold until October 1999, when Israel Septs, an inmate in a California prison, told police that he witnessed the crime. Septs claimed that 23-year-old Jeremy Puckett and 18-year-old Angela Dvorsky killed Galati after they robbed him. Despite having an alibi and no physical evidence linking him to the crime, Jeremy was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder.

To learn more, visit:

https://ncip.org/

We started the Wrongful Conviction podcast to provide a voice to innocent people in prison. 

We want to hear your voices, too.

So call us at 833-207-4666 and leave us a message.

Tell us how these powerful, often tragic and sometimes triumphant, stories make you feel.  

Shocked?

Inspired?  

Motivated?

We want to know! 

We may even include your story in a future episode.

And hey, the more of you that join in, the more power our collective voices will have.

So tell a friend to listen and to call us too at 833-207-4666

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the morning of February 19th, 2022, Cassandra Black Elk awoke to find her three-week-old daughter StarLight lifeless beside her. Police insisted the baby had died due to Shaken Baby Syndrome - and that Cassandra was responsible. “They were telling me their story,” Cassandra remembers, “that somebody did something to StarLight…somebody killed her.” Cassandra knew she hadn’t hurt her baby. She asked her lawyer repeatedly - what does the autopsy report say? But by the time she got the answer, Cassandra had been convicted of having caused her daughter’s death, and was already in prison.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/cassi-black-elk-innocent-and-finally-freed

https://www.greatnorthinnocenceproject.org

F5 Project

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two gunmen robbed a liquor store in Edmond, OK, on December 30, 1974. The gunmen fatally shot an employee and left an eyewitness injured. At this time, police were also investigating a series of unrelated crimes and brought 22-year-old Glynn Simmons and his co-defendant in for questioning due to a tangential connection to the suspects in the other crimes. Glynn was put into various lineups and charged with the liquor store crime despite no physical evidence tying him to the robbery/murder. The two men were ultimately both sentenced to death for the crime. 

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/glynnrsimmons

We started the Wrongful Conviction podcast to provide a voice to innocent people in prison. 

We want to hear your voices, too.

So call us at 833-207-4666 and leave us a message.

Tell us how these powerful, often tragic and sometimes triumphant, stories make you feel.  

Shocked?

Inspired?  

Motivated?

We want to know! 

We may even include your story in a future episode.

And hey, the more of you that join in, the more power our collective voices will have.

So tell a friend to listen and to call us too at 833-207-4666

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On March 30th, 2005, police were called to a home in New Orleans, LA. There, they found Renaldo Curley dead of a single gunshot wound. His estranged wife, 32-year-old Catina Curley, told police that she was in fear for her life when she shot Renaldo in self-defense. Police evidence - and the testimony of their children - showed that Renaldo had been physically abusing Catina for years. Yet, she was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. “It could have been me, you know,” she reflects. “It could have been me that was dead and away from my kids.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Call the national domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-safe or text “start” to 88788.

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early morning hours of March 24,1984, a fire erupted on the first floor of an apartment building in Chicago, IL. The fire destroyed the building and killed six people, including young children. Four years later, James Kluppelberg was taken into police custody after he had reported an unrelated arson case. Police began intensely interrogating James about the apartment building fire until he falsely confessed to the crime. Despite the fact that the only evidence against James was the testimony of a single incentivized witness, he was sentenced to life in prison for the fire.  

To reach James, email him at: 

jrkrepair@gmail.com

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/392-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-arson-evidence/

https://www.exonerationproject.org/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jose Arreola was shot to death inside a pickup truck on November 14, 1995, in Sunnyside, WA. Five months later, a police informant identified a local teenager, Evaristo Salas, as the shooter. He was arrested and taken to the adult jail. “I'm 15 years old, I look like I'm 12. I weigh about a hundred pounds,” Evaristo remembers. “I'm five foot and I'm just surrounded. And I'm scared as hell.” Despite the fact that there was no physical evidence tying Evaristo to the crime, he was convicted and sentenced to 32 years and nine months in prison.

To learn more, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/v47qe2-a-new-beginning

https://wainnocenceproject.org

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2007, a man wearing a wig and sunglasses entered a Bell Wireless store on the west side of Cincinnati, OH brandishing a gun. He ordered the patrons to the floor, demanded money from the store manager, and fled with the store's till. A witness across the street allegedly saw the man put on the wig and sunglasses, enter the store and flee a few minutes later in a Ford Expedition. The witness later identified that man as Chris Smith. Soon after the robbery, police found the Ford Expedition, a wig and sunglasses in the vicinity of Chris’s residence. Despite DNA test results performed on the wig and sunglasses that pointed to another man, Chris was still convicted of aggravated robbery and sentenced to 26 years in prison.

To learn more and get involved, visit:
https://www.instagram.com/therealolhound/?hl=en

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWVPwQ_EQ5KpY52SgneVAGw

https://open.spotify.com/artist/22mtNHFVtFOzdsPPuuJCJt

https://soundcloud.com/olhound

https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2020/04/n20907729.html

https://law.uc.edu/real-world-learning/centers/ohio-innocence-project-at-cincinnati-law.html

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On October 25, 1979, Rabbi David Okunov was robbed and fatally shot while on his way to temple in Brooklyn, New York. Two eyewitnesses described the perpetrator to authorities, and the police's first primary suspect fingered 19-year-old Carl Miller as the gunman. Despite not matching either eyewitness's descriptions, not being picked out of the line-up, and no physical evidence tying him to the crime, Carl was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder.

To learn more and get involved, please visit:
https://jhenninglaw.com/contact/

Wrongful Convictionis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One day in May of 1992, 19-year-old Eron Shelman was driving around Detroit, MI with three of his buddies. Eron was at the wheel with his friend Antonio Knight beside him when suddenly, a shot rang out, and Antonio fell over, dead. “I almost crashed the car,” Eron recalls. “I had my dearest friend laying in my lap, bleeding out the back of his head.” Despite someone else confessing to the shooting, Eron was convicted of Antonio’s murder and sentenced to life in prison. 

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Frelengis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On November 29, 2002, a 7-month-old baby enrolled in Kim Hoover's Columbus, Ohio home day care began to struggle to breathe. After being taken to the hospital, the baby was found to have a skull fracture and bleeding on her brain; tragically passing away two days later. Doctors and authorities began to suspect the child was a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome due to her brain injuries. Despite no evidence of prior abuse or accidents while under her care, Kim was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for murder and child abuse. 

To learn more, visit:

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/410-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-shaken-baby-syndrome/

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Saturday, June 23, 1973, a man attacked Anne Kane outside of her apartment in Boston, MA.  The man forced her inside, beat her, robbed her, raped her, and then kidnapped her dragging her all over the city for the next 6 and a half hours. She escaped into a local firehouse and ran away before the police arrived. A few days later, she identified Tyrone Clark as the assailant by picking his photo out of several photographs the police shared with her. Tyrone Clark was convicted of rape and sentenced to life in prison.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/tyrone-clark-released

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/050-jason-flom-with-ronald-cotton/

https://www.newenglandinnocence.org/

https://www.publiccounsel.net/pc/innocence-program/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“When I tell people that I was sentenced 25 to 50 years, they automatically assume that I was accused of murder,” says Lorinda Swain. “And I always tell them, no, I was accused of worse than that.” In August of 2001, Lorinda was arrested in Calhoun County, Michigan for allegedly sexually molesting her adopted son, who was seven years old at the time. Although the boy recanted the allegation prior to trial and then again after her conviction, Lorinda remained incarcerated for seven years before being released on bond.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://michigan.law.umich.edu/academics/experiential-learning/clinics/michigan-innocence-clinic-0

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Frelengis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A house in Pittsburgh, PA, went up in flames on February 14, 1995, killing three firefighters while they were trying to put out the fire. A week later, a neighbor of 17-year-old Greg Brown came forward and said that he suspected Greg of lighting the fire. Greg and his mother lived at the house that had caught fire, and authorities suspected that the two of them set the fire to claim insurance money. Despite no physical evidence supporting this theory, Greg was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murder, arson, and insurance fraud.

To learn more and get involved, visit:
https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/392-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-arson-evidence/

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/386-jason-flom-with-kristine-bunch-update/

https://painnocence.org/

https://www.pointpark.edu/news-communication/innocence-institute-work-leads-to-reopening-of-highprofile-case

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In February of 1999, 86-year-old Rosemary “Mama Rose” Williams arrived at a hospital in Queens NY, claiming that she’d been raped at knifepoint. She named her 36-year-old grandson, Gary, as the assailant. Despite there being no physical evidence that Ms. Williams was assaulted, and the fact that Gary was in another state he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Years later, Mama Rose admitted to family members that she regretted making the accusation, saying, “It’s time to get Gary out.” Speaking with Maggie at Fishkill Correctional Facility, Gary says that he believes his grandmother was in the early stages of dementia when she made the claim that sent him to prison - and that he forgives her. “I have to,” he says, “because I believe that something was wrong with her.”

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Frelengis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

January 18, 2006, 3-year-old Trustin Blue tumbled down his basement stairs in Cincinnati, OH, became unresponsive, and later brain dead. Trustin had been under the supervision of his mother’s boyfriend, Lamont Hunter, at the time of the incident. When Trustin was declared dead, the police began suspecting that Trustin had been raped and abused by Lamont, and had not actually fallen down the stairs as Lamont claimed. The case against Lamont was centered around allegations of prior abuse against Trustin and the manner of Trustin’s injuries. Lamont  was convicted and sentenced to death for the incident. 

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/3k5jem-free-after-wrongful-incarceration-on-death-row

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/172-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-shaken-baby-syndrome/

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/373-jason-flom-with-elwood-jones/

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/379-jason-flom-with-keith-lamar-pt-1/ 

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a November Sunday in 2005, two 14-year-olds were shot outside of a street carnival in South Central Los Angeles, CA. One of the teenagers died, but the surviving victim and other individuals identified 21-year-old Jason Walton as the gunman. Despite having been seen on video surveillance footage miles from the scene at the time, and with no physical evidence linking him to the crime, Jason was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. Jason believes police never bothered investigating other leads.“I don't feel like they ultimately cared about the victim nor myself,”  says Jason, speaking by phone from California State Prison. “It's like, “Well, one gang member's dead, one gang member's shot, one gang member's in jail. We got a three for one in a way.”

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://theinnocencecenter.org/jason-walton

https://linktr.ee/Justice4jasonwalton

https://gofund.me/0b59e571

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early morning of March 24, 1994, 20-year-old Kenneth Hayes was getting out of his car when someone emerged from the bushes, chased him down, and fatally shot him in front of his home in Detroit, MI. 18-year-old Larry Smith Jr. became a suspect when a car belonging to a friend of his was spotted near the scene of the crime. Since there was no physical evidence tying Larry to the crime, authorities relied on junk science and questionable eyewitness testimony to convict him of the murder and sentence him to life in prison without parole.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.lifeafterjustice.org/

https://www.jarrettadamslaw.com/redeeming-justice

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiterrorism_and_Effective_Death_Penalty_Act_of_1996

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/396-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-footwear-comparison-evidence/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In February of 1993, 70-year-old Anthony Dolff was found murdered in his home in Saskatchewan, Canada. That morning, indigenous sisters Odelia and Nerissa Quewezance were picked up by police. The two were held at the station for five days and questioned repeatedly without counsel - even though someone else had confessed to the killing. “These were two young indigenous women trying to cope with white police officers, all male,” says their attorney, James Lockyer. “And on the basis of those unrecorded statements that the police alleged they gave, they were convicted the following year."

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.innocencecanada.com 

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several shots were fired from an alley toward a group of friends on the night of January 16, 1993, in Chicago, IL. One person was fatally shot and two others were wounded. Chicago detectives brought 16-year-old Fabian Santiago in for questioning and interrogated him for hours. The detectives claimed that Fabian admitted to the shooting, but there was no written or electronic record of this statement. Despite no physical evidence tying him to the crime, Fabian was sentenced to 90 years in prison for the shooting. 

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/155-jason-flom-with-marilyn-mulero/

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/243-guest-host-patrick-pursley-with-jacques-rivera/

https://www.bonjeanlaw.com/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In November of 1999, a fire broke out in Angela Garcia’s home in Cleveland, OH. Angela jumped out of a second-story window and ran for help, but her two young daughters died of smoke inhalation. Several months later, she was charged with their murder and received two life sentences. “I didn't hurt my daughters…I loved them like I love myself,” Angela tells Maggie. “I always believed that the truth would prevail…that's what the news teaches you to think. So why would I ever think that the system would let me down?”

To learn more visit:

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/392-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-arson-evidence/

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On December 22, 1989, two men were fatally shot at a garage on the south side of Chicago, IL. Twenty-three-year-old James Gibson was falsely implicated in the shooting and severely beaten by local police officers. After brutal interrogations and despite no physical evidence tying him to the crime, James was sentenced to life in prison for the murders. 

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.imjamesgibson.com/about
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/the-giving-back-fund-inc/the-clara-and-james-gibson-foundation
https://www.instagram.com/imjamesgibson/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/3z.musichouse/?hl=en
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn-kCEoD6_Y
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYguC3ZanKTh3A7hB_AvnxQ
https://www.actioninjurylawgroup.com/cases/james-gibson
https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/211-jason-flom-with-marcus-wiggins/
https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/399-jason-flom-with-sean-tyler-and-reginald-henderson/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On September 15, 1993, two gunmen entered a home in Detroit, Michigan, and murdered Lavonda Brown and her son, 20-year old Douglas Williams. Detroit police rounded up  a number of suspects, questioning them for hours, including Wilson Rivera. Wilson had a solid alibi for that night. Not only that - the shooter had actually confessed to Wilson that he’d done it.  “I asked Roger, like, what's going on?” Wilson recalls. “And he explained to me what had actually taken place with the murder. I’m assuming the facts are gonna bear me out.” But one by one, the other suspects were dropped from the investigation. By the time the trial began, Wilson was the only one left.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.freewilsonrivera.com/donations/

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Frelengis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On January 15, 2013, Matt Huang’s eight-year-old adopted daughter, Gloria, unexpectedly passed away in Doha, Qatar. Despite the fact that Gloria had a variety of health issues and often exhibited symptoms of an eating disorder, authorities in Qatar immediately suspected Matt and his wife, Grace, of starving their daughter to death. The couple was sentenced to 3 years in prison for the death of their daughter.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.youmightgotoprison.com/

https://theinnocencecenter.org/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On March 8, 1991, 27-year-old Nikki Zinger and her boyfriend Daniel Risher returned home to find Nikki's mother brutally murdered. Despite there being no evidence that tied them to the crime, and a number of potential alternate suspects, both were convicted. Now sixty and in declining health, Nikki is still hopeful that DNA testing could exonerate her.  And she's still grieving her mother's death. "She was my, she was my playmate. She was my everything," Nikki tells Maggie. "Why would I take my life away from me?"

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.freefunder.com/campaign/help-nikki-with-basics

https://apps.ark.org/inmate_info/search.php?dcnum=704283&token=74fd66594dc3ea95e65ede4a15dffe3fca2529a7fb7044fc85ede454170cb364&lastname=zinger&firstname=nikki&sex=b&agetype=1&disclaimer=1&PHPSESSID=c7b1c691a6208b755733675fe6f954b4

Or write her here:
Nikki Zinger #704283
302 Corrections Drive
Newport, AR 72112
freenikkizinger@gmail.com.

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Frelengis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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In May of 1983, Clyde Coleman was fatally shot at his home in Philadelphia, PA. Eyewitnesses reported seeing three men fleeing the scene. But when police found that 22-year old Larry Walker was in a relationship with the victim, they stopped looking for other suspects. Two of the three eyewitnesses, one of whom was a juvenile at the time, testified that Larry was the perpetrator. The third testified that he was not. And despite the complete lack of physical or forensic evidence implicating Larry, Larry was convicted and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/9c5qdn-free-larry-walker

https://centurion.org/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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This special edition of Wrongful Conviction was recorded on December 1, 2023 live from the United Justice Coalition (UJC) Summit in New York City. This annual gathering brings together activists from all over the world with the expressed purpose of raising awareness of and devising ways to address some of the key social issues of our time. 

In this episode, Jason and Maggie sit down with Andre Brown at the UJC Summit 2023. Andre was charged with attempted murder for chasing down and shooting two teenage boys in the Bronx, NY in 1999. Even though Andre had a medical condition that made running nearly impossible and several witnesses saw someone else commit the crime, Andre was convicted and sentenced to two 20-year prison terms.

To learn more and get involved, visit:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/SupportAndreBrown

https://www.unjustandunsolved.com/post/episode-19-andre-brown

https://cuomollc.com/oscar/

https://www.deskovicfoundation.org/cases

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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Lava for Good’s critically acclaimed Wrongful Conviction podcast, co-hosted by celebrated criminal justice reform advocate and founding board member of the Innocence Project Jason Flom, and Pulitzer prize-winning podcast host and producer Maggie Freleng, returns with gripping new episodes that delve into harrowing stories highlighting pervasive issues in the criminal justice system. Flom and Freleng speak with individuals who were wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit. Some have been fully exonerated and reunited with family and friends while others continue to languish in prison. Their cases underscore shocking systemic failures and outright biases within the legal system. Episodes will alternate between the two hosts every Monday and Thursday beginning January 8, 2024.

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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February 9, 1992 started as a normal day for 16 year old Faye Jacobs – she attended church and hung out with friends in Little Rock, AR. When she and her mom drove home later, they passed bustling police activity. Intrigued, they stopped the car and got out. Suddenly, Faye was grabbed, pushed against the car and arrested for the shooting murder of Kevin Gaddy, a classmate of hers. Despite an exculpatory alibi and eye witnesses, Faye was sentenced to life without parole. Maggie speaks to Faye Jacobs, Tricia Bushnell Esq. Faye’s attorney, and Tiffany Woods her girlfriend.  

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/innocence-too-kansas-city

https://www.journeytonewlife.org/newsletter/reflections-winter-2020/from-innocence-to-innocent/

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Frelengis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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On January 15, 1980, in Wilmington, DE, a 15-year-old girl, "G.S," reported she had been raped alongside the railroad tracks. The victim and her young male friend, "K.C.", said they were together on the tracks when a young black man approached them and assaulted G.S. After giving numerous inconsistent statements, K.C. told police he recognized the attacker from school and that his name was Elmer. 18-year-old Elmer Daniels was ultimately sentenced to life in prison for the rape despite scant physical evidence and a strong alibi that was corroborated by several witnesses.

To learn more and get involved, visit:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-elmer-daniels-after-39yrs-wrongful-conviction?member=1327822

https://lavaforgood.com/junk-science/

To hear the story of Guest Host John Huffington's own wrongful conviction listen to;

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/052-jason-flom-with-john-huffington/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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On May 19th, 1975, in front of a store in Cleveland, OH, two assailants robbed a man, splashed acid in his face, shot and killed him, and then fired into the store injuring the co-owner. 12 year-old Eddie Vernon was riding a bus near the scene and later bragged that he had seen Rickey Jackson, as well as Ronnie and Wiley Bridgeman commit the crime. However, according to all the other occupants of the bus, they were too far away to even see the crime. But police ignored other more compelling leads and focused on Eddie’s story. When he tried to back away from the fib, they threatened to take his parents to prison if he didn’t stick to the story. Eddie’s false testimony at trial helped send all three young men to death row.

To learn more and get involved, visit: 

https://lavaforgood.com/false-confessions/

https://otse.org/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14135822/

https://law.uc.edu/real-world-learning/centers/ohio-innocence-project-at-cincinnati-law.html

Wrongful Convictionis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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In September 1986, 34-year-old Douglas DiLosa was found bound with rope in his Jefferson Parish, LA home. His wife was found strangled upstairs. DiLosa, who is white, told police that he was awakened by a noise, and when he went downstairs to investigate, he was beaten and bound by two black men. Police suspected that DiLosa, who was in financial trouble, had murdered his wife for the insurance money. A jury convicted DiLosa of second-degree murder and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.first72plus.org/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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Early on the morning of August 11, 1979, an intruder broke into a Manchester, GA home to find a 74-year-old woman asleep on her couch. The man beat and sexually assaulted the woman and then demanded all her money. She gave the attacker cash from her purse and then he left through the back door. 

The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment, but no rape kit was collected due to the extent of her injuries. At the victim’s house, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) crime scene investigators collected pubic hairs from a bed sheet that had been on the couch at the time of the rape. Police then created a composite sketch of the attacker from the victim’s description, and a GBI agent who was investigating John Jerome White on another charge thought he resembled the sketch. White was convicted on May 30, 1980 of rape, assault, burglary, and robbery. 

To learn more about the junk science of hair microscopy evidence:

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/152-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-hair-microscopy-evidence/

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.ajc.com/news/local/from-2007-snapshot-eyewitness-mistake/TxDolwbHy82ba4w1eefq8H/

https://www.georgiainnocenceproject.org/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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Kate Judson, Executive Director of the Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences, updates Josh Dubin's exploration of Shaken Baby Syndrome on Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science. 

Shaken Baby Syndrome isn’t a foolproof diagnosis. There are in fact many other causes for the symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome that do not arise from intentionally shaking a baby at all.

Learn more and get involved:

http://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/junk-science

Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co No1.

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On October 3, 2004, in Port Huron, MI, Terry Ceasor was at home alone with his girlfriend Cheryl’s 1 year old son, Brenden. Terry and Brenden had been playing a game that consisted of Terry chasing Brenden behind the couch when Terry briefly stepped away from the room to use the bathroom. After he left the room, Terry heard a loud thud and found Brenden unconscious on the living room floor. The medical professionals at the hospital believed that Brenden was a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Terry was subsequently convicted of child abuse and sentenced to 2 to 15 years in prison. Jason talks to Terry Ceasor and Dave Moran, Terry's attorney.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://michigan.law.umich.edu/academics/experiential-learning/clinics/michigan-innocence-clinic-0

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/269-jason-flom-with-temujin-kensu/

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/172-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-shaken-baby-syndrome/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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Josh Dubin discusses Eyewitness Testimony with renowned psychologist Elizabeth Loftus, a professor at the University of California, Irvine. She studies human memory, specifically the malleability of memory, a huge factor in cases where eyewitness testimony is used as evidence.

It turns out that memories, just like other forms of evidence, can be manipulated, contaminated, and planted.

Kate Judson, Executive Director of the Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences, updates Josh Dubin's Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science. 

Learn more and get involved:

http://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/junk-science

Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co No1.

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Just after midnight on July 25, 1990, a man was shot and killed in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Oakland, CA. Shortly after the shooting, police picked up 17-year-old Jerome Dixon, who had been hanging out with his friends nearby, and drove him to the crime scene and then to the police station. Police interrogated Jerome for 25 hours eliciting a confession. Despite no physical evidence linking him to the crime, Jerome accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder and was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison.

To learn more about false confessions:

https://lavaforgood.com/false-confessions/

To learn more and get involved:

Write to Governor Gavin Newsom's office in support of a pardon for Jerome. Email pardons@gov.ca.gov, and be sure to put Jerome Dixon's name in the subject line.

Contact your Representative or Senator and tell them you support the Protecting Miranda Rights for Kids Act, which would require police to notify and contact parents or guardians if their child is arrested or detained.

Get involved with the work of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. Visit their website at https://antirecidivism.org/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh Dubin examines Roadside Drug Testing with Greg Glod, Criminal Justice Senior Policy Fellow.

Faulty tests, which cost police departments $2 a piece or less, are widely used across the United States, causing countless people to plead guilty to crimes they didn’t commit, despite scientific evidence that proves just how ineffective they really are.

Kate Judson, Executive Director of the Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences, updates Josh Dubin's Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science. 

Learn more and get involved.

http://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/junk-science

https://www.propublica.org/article/common-roadside-drug-test-routinely-produces-false-positives

https://www.propublica.org/article/no-field-test-is-fail-safe-meet-the-chemist-behind-houston-police-drug-kits

https://www.propublica.org/article/unreliable-and-unchallenged

Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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On April 15, 2011, Dawone Taylor was murdered in Oakland, CA over a dispute about an allegedly stolen ipod. Pierre Rushing, a promising young musician who never met Mr. Taylor, was later charged and convicted for the murder primarily on the questionable testimony of a struggling drug addict who was unable to accurately describe Pierre’s appearance. 

Learn more and get involved:
Pamela Price
alcoda@acgov.org
1225 Fallon Street Suite 900
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 272-6222 

https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/with-jason-flom

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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Josh Dubin does a deep dive into the psychology behind Coerced Confession Evidence with David Rudolf, criminal defense and civil rights attorney, and co-host of the podcast Abuse of Power.

It turns out tactics used to extract Coerced Confessions are also rooted in Junk Science. Just like Bite Mark Evidence, Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, and so many others covered in this show, Coerced, or False Confessions are another link in the chain of the Junk Science epidemic.

Kate Judson, Executive Director of the Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences, updates Josh Dubin's Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science. 

Learn more and get involved.

http://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/junk-science

Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On July 16, 1949, 17-year-old Norma Padgett and her estranged husband, Willie Padgett, reported to police that they had been attacked by four black men in Lake County, FL, with Norma claiming that the men had raped her. On the same day, police arrested 16-year-old Charles Greenlee, and 22-year-olds Samuel Shepherd and Walter Irvin. 26-year-old Ernest Thomas was hunted into the woods and gunned down by a mob of men, as he was also blamed for the attack. Despite weak evidence and testimonies tainted by racism, the remaining three were convicted and faced severe sentences, including life imprisonment and death.

Jason is joined by Gilbert King, host of Bone Valley and Pulitzer-prize-winning author of Devil in the Grovewhich chronicles the story of the Groveland Four, as they came to be known, and future United States Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall’s efforts to defend them in court.

To learn more, visit:
http://www.gilbertking.com/devil-in-the-grove/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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The notion that tools leave a unique mark on a surface is commonly presented to unsuspecting juries. But, it turns out that it's not necessarily the case at all.

Josh Dubin talks about Tool Mark Analysis with Tim Requarth, a freelance journalist who often writes about the intersection between science and criminal justice and a lecturer in science and writing at New York University.

Kate Judson, Executive Director of the Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences, updates Josh Dubin's Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science. 
Learn more and get involved.

“Forensic Science Put Jimmy Genrich in Prison for 24 Years. What if It Wasn’t Science” By Meehan Crist and Tim Requarth https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/the-crisis-of-american-forensics/https://cifsjustice.org/donate/https://opd.ohio.gov/law-library/innocence/wrongful-conviction-projectwww.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/junk-science

Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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On July 17, 1982, in Hanover County, VA, a white woman was raped by a black man who was a total stranger. During the rape, the man beat her and threatened her with a gun, and also mentioned that she was not the only white woman he had had sexual relations with. Based on this statement alone, police immediately suspected 18-year-old Marvin Anderson to be the perpetrator because Marvin lived with his white girlfriend at the time. Despite a complete lack of evidence linking him to this crime, and evidence pointing to another more viable suspect, Marvin was convicted of rape by an all white jury, and sentenced to 210 years in prison. 

To learn more and get involved, visit:
https://innocenceproject.org/ 

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Of all the many faulty forensic sciences, Gunshot Residue certainly has some truly startling and scary issues that began almost a century ago.

Josh Dubin explores Gunshot Residue Evidence with Joanna Sanchez, Managing Counsel from the Wrongful Conviction Project at the Office of the Ohio Public Defender. 

Kate Judson, Executive Director of the Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences, updates Josh Dubin's Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science. 

To learn more and get involved, please visit:

https://cifsjustice.org/donate/

https://opd.ohio.gov/law-library/innocence/wrongful-conviction-project

https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/junk-science

Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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On March 29, 1994, 10-year-old Rodney Collins was fatally shot while riding his bike after being caught in a crossfire between two street gangs in Chicago, IL. Two brothers, 17-year-old Sean Tyler and 18-year-old Reginald Henderson, came under suspicion after a corrupt police force used extreme physical abuse to force false confessions out of them and others. Despite no evidence linking them to the crime other than their coerced false confessions, the brothers were each sentenced to over 50 years in prison. 

Jason Flom talks to Sean Tyler and Reginald Henderson along with Sean's attorney, Karl Leonard from The Exoneration Project.

To learn more and get involved, please visit: 

https://www.instagram.com/nuvisean_/

https://www.instagram.com/tharippleeffect75/

https://www.exonerationproject.org/

To hear more about Chicago's infamous police commander Jon Burge and his 'Midnight Crew': 

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/360-wrongful-conviction-false-confessions-midnight-crew-update/

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/211-jason-flom-with-marcus-wiggins/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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Contrary to what pop culture has ingrained in the American conscience, matching known fingerprints of a suspect to prints left at the scene of a crime is not an exact science. It’s entirely subjective.
So how did fingerprints become so widely accepted and thought of as the gold standard, as fool proof evidence?

Josh Dubin discusses Fingerprint Evidence with Mary Moriarty, former Chief Public Defender of Hennepin County in Minnesota.

Kate Judson, Executive Director of the Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences, updates Josh Dubin's Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science. 

To learn more and get involved, please visit:

https://cifsjustice.org/donate/

https://www.maryforhennepin.com/meet-mary

https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/junk-science

Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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On August 8th, 1998, 25-year-old Kasey Schoen was shot and killed while sitting in his car in Indianapolis, IN. A few days later, a man approached officers and told them that he saw 22-year-old Leon Benson shoot the victim. A single eyewitness identified Leon as the shooter out of a photo lineup, despite the fact that he did not match the eyewitness's initial description of the shooter. Leon was ultimately sentenced to 60 years in prison for the murder, even though there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime and the main witness against him tried to recant their testimony. 

Guest host, Kemba Smith, talks to Leon Benson and Lara Bazelon, Leon's attorney.

To learn more and get involved, please visit: 

Organization of Exonerees 

The Streets Don't Love You Back 

Go to Die Jim Crow Records to support prison impacted musicians, including Leon Benson's (El Bently 448) album "Innocent Born Guilty". 

Petition for Demetrius Burks

www.kembamovie.com

https://www.kembasmith.com

https://kembasmithfoundation.org/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even when done correctly, impression analysis of evidence, like shoe prints and tire tracks, is purely subjective. Many experts recognize its limitations. But one so-called “expert” in particular pushed the limits of this forensic discipline to produce horrific outcomes.

Josh Dubin speaks with Bill Osinski, journalist and author of “Guilty By Popular Demand.”

Kate Judson, Executive Director of the Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences, updates Josh Dubin's Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science. 

To learn more and get involved, please visit:

https://cifsjustice.org/donate/

https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/junk-science

Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the night of May 10, 1985, a 35-year-old woman was attacked and sexually assaulted in her home in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans, LA. The victim worked with police to create a composite sketch of her rapist and a month later, 17-year-old Sullivan Walter was arrested for an unrelated burglary charge. A police officer believed that Sullivan resembled the rapist’s composite sketch and the victim later identified him as her rapist in a photo lineup. Sullivan’s trial lasted just one day, but due to to junk science, inadequate legal defense, and a mistaken eyewitness identification, he was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison. 

Jason Flom talks to Sullivan Walter and Richard Davis, Legal Director of Innocence Project New Orleans. 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/sullivan-walters-freedom-fund

https://ip-no.org/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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Even when examined under a microscope, the similarities that can be observed between two hairs are open to wide interpretation, there are no definitive traits that can prove with any scientific certainty that a suspect’s hair matches a hair found at a crime scene. Yet hair comparison analysis was still being used to falsely identify and convict innocent people up until the year 2000 and people are still incarcerated who were convicted based on this false evidence.

So how did this evidence get admitted into courts in the first place?

Josh Dubin speaks with Vanessa Antoun, Senior Resource Counsel at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) to learn about Hair Microscopy Evidence.

Kate Judson, Executive Director of the Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences, updates Josh Dubin's Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science. 

To learn more and get involved, please visit:

https://cifsjustice.org/donate/

https://www.nacdl.org/

https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/junk-science

Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On February 21, 1994, in New Orleans, LA, a 6-year-old girl was taken to the hospital after complaining of pain and unusual vaginal discharge. The doctors concluded that the young girl had been raped after she tested positive for gonorrhea. The girl was interviewed by authorities without any guardian present, and ended up saying that a family member named Patrick had touched her genitals. Despite there being other probable suspects in the family, 20-year-old Patrick Brown was charged with, and ultimately convicted of aggravated rape, and sentenced to life without parole primarily based on this one interview. Over the next 30 years, the girl continuously contacted the prosecutor’s office stating that they had the wrong guy. Yet, Patrick remained in prison. 

Guest host, Tiffany Reese, talks to Patrick Brown and Kelly Orians, Patrick's attorney. 

To learn more and get involved, please visit: 

GoFundme.com - Patrick Brown

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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Built on a foundation of conjecture and best guesses that were never adequately tested according to any valid scientific principles, arson evidence experts have been telling juries for decades that one can definitively determine that a fire was intentionally set is completely wrong.

But why, after generations of experts have all been proven wrong, is there still an unwillingness to change? Barry Scheck, Co-Founder of the Innocence Project, discusses Arson Evidence with Josh.

Kate Judson, Executive Director of the Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences, updates Josh Dubin's Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science. 

To learn more and get involved, please visit:

https://cifsjustice.org/donate/

2009 Article in The New Yorker by David Grann

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/09/07/trial-by-fire

https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/junk-science

Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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On April 23, 1984 a couple was robbed at gunpoint by two perpetrators outside a convenience store in New Orleans, LA. The couple fought back, which resulted in one of the robbers – Eric Batiste – being accidentally shot and killed by his partner. An officer assumed that since Batiste and 17-year-old George Toca were best friends, that George was the other robber. The couple’s description of Batiste’s partner was nothing like George, but they still selected him from a photo lineup and he was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. 

To learn more and get involved, please visit:

https://ip-no.org/

https://everydropnola.com/gibusinesses

https://www.mightycause.com/story/Ow485g 

Wrongful Convictionis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloodstain pattern experts falsely claim that they can identify the culprit of violent crimes by examining the shape and distribution of bloodstains from a crime scene. But, bloodstain pattern evidence has no grounding in any verifiable science. So how did this kind of junk science become admissible?

Josh Dubin, civil rights and criminal defense attorney, explores bloodstain pattern evidence with Pamela Colloff, senior reporter at ProPublica and staff writer at The New York Times Magazine.

Kate Judson, Executive Director of the Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences, updates Josh Dubin's Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science. 

To learn more and get involved, please visit:

https://cifsjustice.org/donate/

Pamela Coloff’s two part story on the Joe Bryan case Blood Will Tell - ProPublica

Part 1 https://features.propublica.org/blood-spatter/mickey-bryan-murder-blood-spatter-forensic-evidence/

Part 2 https://features.propublica.org/blood-spatter/joe-bryan-conviction-blood-spatter-forensic-evidence/

National Academy of Sciences: Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/228091.pdf

https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/junk-science

Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

18-year-old Jessica Currin’s burned and decomposing body was discovered on August 1, 2000 behind Mayfield Middle School in Mayfield, KY. Jessica had lacerations on the back of her head, nose and chin, and stab wounds. The medical examiner also believed she had been strangled but there was no evidence to support this theory. The case went cold for a few years, until a couple of supposed eyewitnesses came forward, motivated by promises of reward money, and told inconsistent stories that they and multiple others had kidnapped, killed, and raped Jessica. They said Quincy Cross was one of the people involved, and that he was the person who hit and strangled Jessica. Based on this unreliable testimony, as well as a jailhouse snitch, and despite a lack of physical evidence connecting him to this crime, Quincy was convicted of the kidnapping, rape and murder of Jessica Currin and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Maggie Freleng talks to Quincy Cross and Miranda Hellman, Quincy's attorney. 

To learn more and get involved, please visit: 

https://www.change.org/p/free-quincy-cross

www.kentuckyinnocenceproject.org

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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Like other forms of junk science used in criminal trials, bite mark evidence does not benefit crime victims or their loved ones. So why is it treated like credible science. It turns out that the charade of bite mark evidence is actually older than the United States.

Kate Judson, Executive Director of the Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences, updates Josh Dubin's Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science.

To learn more and get involved, please visit:

https://cifsjustice.org/donate/
https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/junk-science

Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On June 28, 1997, 25-year-old member of the Lil Watts gang, Antonio Alarcon, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Hawthorne, California, by a rival gang, Lawndale 13. In exchange for release on unrelated charges, Santo “Payaso” Alvarez deflected attention for the Alarcon shooting toward fellow Lawndale 13 members Eduardo Dumbrique and John Klene, when he knew who the actual shooter was. Witness Daniel Curiel testified that after he was not able to make an identification in a photo lineup, Sergeant Doral Riggs pointed to the photos of Eduardo and John, convincing him to make the ID. However, Eduardo and John's alibis were corroborated by many friends and neighbors. Additionally, the actual shooter reached out to Eduardo’s family to confess to the murder. Regardless of the alibis, the confession, and the lack of physical or forensic evidence, Eduardo and John were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In this updated episode, Jason Flom checks in with Eduardo and John at the 2023 Innocence Network Conference to hear what they've been up to since their episode aired.   

To learn more and get involved, please visit:

https://www.pjlawcenter.org/page/2364325-home

http://www.innocencematters.org/ 

https://www.instagram.com/johnklene_free/ 

Wrongful Convictionis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early morning hours of June 30th, 1995 in Greensburg, IN, 21 year old mother Kristine Bunch awoke in a carbon monoxide haze to the decimation of her entire world. Junk science and false testimony made matters much, much worse.

In this updated episode, Jason Flom catches up with Kristine at the 2023 Innocence Network Conference to discuss the impactful advocacy work she continues doing to support others who have been wrongfully convicted. 

To learn more and get involved, please visit: 

https://interrogatingjustice.org/

https://www.justis4justus.org/

https://innocenceproject.org/

https://www.uis.edu/illinoisinnocenceproject

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Lorain, OH, a notorious informant father and son duo traded false information for $2k, wrongfully ensnaring 4 young men in the criminal legal system - one of whom was budding hip hop star, artist, and author, Al Cleveland.

In this updated episode, Jason Flom catches up with Al to discuss the great non-profit work he is doing today to support individuals who are just coming home from prison, in addition to his continued work as an artist. 

To learn more and get involved, visit: 

https://www.clevecostudios.com/

https://www.lovehandle.com/

https://www.instagram.com/alfredcleveland3/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/alfred.cleveland.73

Center For Employment Opportunities: https://www.ceoworks.org/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephanie Spurgeon was a married mother of two who had been running a daycare facility from her home for 15 years. On August 21, 2008, Stephanie took care of 1 year old Maria Harris for the first time. Maria’s grandmother picked her up that day, but soon noticed Maria was unresponsive. After 8 days in the hospital, Maria passed away. Because Stephanie was the last supervisor of the child, she was accused of murder and convicted of manslaughter based on the prosecution’s argument of Abusive Head Trauma. After 9 years in the Florida prison system, numerous Innocence Projects helped Stephanie assert her innocence, and in 2021, she accepted an Alford Plea and was finally freed. 

In this updated episode, Jason Flom catches up with Stephanie to discuss the great advocacy work she is doing today to pay it forward to others who are wrongfully convicted. 

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://gofund.me/06c1b747

Tre Clay: https://www.instagram.com/justice_for_tre_clay/?hl=en

Stephanie's podcast, Freedom Fighters: https://open.spotify.com/show/6BR03ECj2NitXptajTtkmH

https://millerforstateattorney.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MillerForStateAttorney

https://www.instagram.com/millerforstateattorney/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/afmiller2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmwdSfek2aM

https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On March 28th, 1998, Nelson Cruz was celebrating his birthday over Chinese food with friends when they heard shots fired down the block. Police were immediately on scene to make an arrest, yet somehow, Nelson became the target of a notorious pair of NYPD detectives. Jason Flom talks to Nelson Cruz and Justin Bonus, Nelson’s attorney.

To learn more and get involved, visit: 

https://www.change.org/p/brooklyn-district-attorney-eric-gonzalez-nelson-cruz-is-innocent

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/181-jason-flom-with-danny-rincon/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To win exoneration, it wasn’t enough for the DA to declare innocence. The judge had to agree, or Walter wasn’t going anywhere.

Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin bring us to Philadelphia for the story of Walter Ogrod. Walter was sent to death row by an old-school Philly justice system that was better known for injustice. He spent decades in prison for a murder he didn't commit -- until a new wave of reform-minded prosecutors found the truth behind Walter's false confession.

This updated episode talks about Philadelphia's efforts to right the wrongs of the past. Things like voting for progressive District Attorneys are necessary to reform our criminal justice system. 

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessionsis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On April 11, 1993, a riot broke out at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, OH, primarily due to tensions between the prisoners and the guards. The riot went on for 11 days resulting in 10 deaths and millions of dollars in damages. 23-year-old prisoner Keith LaMar was a witness to the riot, and although there was no physical evidence linking him to any involvement in the riot, the prosecution focused on him presumably because he refused to aid them in their investigation. Many incentivized and coerced prison informants testified that Keith was the leader behind the riot while the prosecution failed to present the exculpatory evidence in their possession that others were responsible. Thus, Keith became one of the five prisoners convicted of the murders and blamed for the riot. Keith was sentenced to death. Jason talks to Keith LaMar and Keegan Stephan, Keith's attorney. 

To learn more and get involved, visit: 

https://www.keithlamar.org/
https://www.instagram.com/justiceforkeithlamar
https://www.facebook.com/justiceforkeithlamar
https://twitter.com/freekeithlamar

PayPal: info@keithlamar.org
Venmo: @justiceforkeithlamar
Cash App: $justiceforkeithlamar

Petitions:
https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/justice-for-keith-lamar-ldf-1/
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/free-keith-lamar

Native Sons Literacy Program:
https://www.nativesonsliteracy.org/donate-to-native-sons
https://www.nativesonsliteracy.org/scholarship

Memoir and Music:
https://www.keithlamar.org/merchandise
https://www.albertmarques.com/video

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can one man save the life of a perfect stranger?

The case of Daniel Villegas shows how ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference in the fight against wrongful convictions. Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin tell the story of an unexpected hero who fought for years to turn tragedy into triumph, ending in one of the most dramatic courtroom exonerations ever seen.

This updated episode shares the great work that Daniel is doing today to pay it forward.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

http://proclaimjustice.org/donate/

https://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessionsis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On April 11, 1993, a riot broke out at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, OH, primarily due to tensions between the prisoners and the guards. The riot went on for 11 days resulting in 10 deaths and millions of dollars in damages. 23-year-old prisoner Keith LaMar was a witness to the riot, and although there was no physical evidence linking him to any involvement in the riot, the prosecution focused on him presumably because he refused to aid them in their investigation. Many incentivized and coerced prison informants testified that Keith was the leader behind the riot while the prosecution failed to present the exculpatory evidence in their possession that others were responsible. Thus, Keith became one of the five prisoners convicted of the murders and blamed for the riot. Keith was sentenced to death. Jason talks to Keith LaMar and Keegan Stephan, Keith's attorney. 

To learn more and get involved, visit: 

https://www.keithlamar.org/
https://www.instagram.com/justiceforkeithlamar
https://www.facebook.com/justiceforkeithlamar
https://twitter.com/freekeithlamar

PayPal: info@keithlamar.org
Venmo: @justiceforkeithlamar
Cash App: $justiceforkeithlamar

Petitions:
https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/justice-for-keith-lamar-ldf-1/
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/free-keith-lamar

Native Sons Literacy Program:
https://www.nativesonsliteracy.org/donate-to-native-sons
https://www.nativesonsliteracy.org/scholarship

Memoir and Music:
https://www.keithlamar.org/merchandise
https://www.albertmarques.com/video

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How could anyone believe a confession about 1,000 pole-vaulting terrorists all dressed like Ninja Turtles?

This week, Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin tell us a story with some of the most outlandish false confessions ever heard. And yet, California native, Hamid Hayat, was wrongfully convicted of terrorism in the years following the horrific 9/11 attacks. Investigators thought Hamid was part of a terrorist sleeper cell, though eventually they learned no such terrorist cell ever existed.

This updated episode shares how Hamid is rebuilding his life, and how his support system continues to grow.

To learn more and get involved, visit: 

https://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessionsis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On April 5th, 1990, Bernhardt and Cora Hartig, both 81, were shot to death in their Atwater, OH home with a .25 caliber gun. Miles away, 18-year-old Tyrone Noling was involved in two non-violent robberies – in one, he stole a .25 caliber gun and in the second, it accidentally discharged, hurting no one. This gun, however, was not the Hartig murder weapon, and despite other, more viable suspects, Portage County investigators targeted Tyrone and convinced his friends to testify against him. All witnesses have since recanted, but after 3 decades, Tyrone is still on death row. Jason talks to Tyrone Noling and Brian Howe, Tyrone's attorney. 

To learn more and get involved, visit:

http://www.tyronenoling.com/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four honorable men volunteered to fight for their country, but ended up fighting for their own freedom.

Hosts Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin, co-directors at Northwestern University’s Center on Wrongful Convictions and central figures in the smash hit Netflix docuseries Making a Murderer, tell us about not one, but four U.S. Navy sailors who falsely confessed to murdering another sailor’s wife.

This updated episode shares the promising news that in 2021, Virginia became the first southern state to abolish the death penalty, and the 24th in the country. Cases like the Norfolk Four undeniably led to this progressive decision.

To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On August 10, 2017, police executed a search warrant at a home in San Antonio, TX and found nearly three pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a bathroom. Upon this discovery, police arrested 45-year-old Louie Garcia and two other individuals. It turns out that the search warrant stemmed from the word of a confidential informant, and nothing else. Further, upon their arrest, Louie and his co-defendants urged that they had been framed. Shortly before the police arrived, a man had stopped at the house with a young girl. They asked to use the bathroom, and then left. When the police did arrive, the officers immediately went up to the bathroom, where they found the drugs. Their claims fell on deaf ears, and Louie was sentenced to 8 years in prison. Greg Glod and Clayton English talk to Louie Garcia and Dayna Jones, Louie's attorney.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/s1e6-the-war-at-your-door-no-knock-warrants/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I shall no longer tinker with the machinery of death.

Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin bring us inside a decades-long fight for the truth. The story of Henry McCollum and Leon Brown is living proof that false confessions can send innocent people to death row.

This update shares the fabulous news that in 2021, Henry and Leon were compensated $75 million dollars – the largest wrongful conviction verdict in history.

To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On September 3, 1994, Rhoda Nathan was murdered in Room 237 of the Embassy Suites Hotel in Blue Ash, OH. Police focused on hotel employee Elwood Jones as a suspect after they saw an infected cut on his hand. There were no eyewitnesses nor was there DNA evidence linking Elwood to the crime, so the case against him relied heavily on hypothetical claims. The prosecution also failed to provide the defense with exculpatory evidence that would have affirmed Elwood’s innocence. Elwood was ultimately convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. Jason speaks to Elwood Jones and David Hine and Jay Clark, Elwood's attorneys.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/aqvc9-help-elwood-jones-recover-from-30-lost-years

Send an email to Hamilton County’s Prosecutor Melissa Powers and her chief assistant prosecutor Ron Springman, demanding that they do what is just by dropping the charges against Elwood. Make sure to cc the two men responsible for this injustice, Mark Piepmeier and Seth Tieger.
melissa.powers@hcpros.org
ron.springman@hcpros.org
mark.piepmeier@hcpros.org
seth.tieger@hcpros.org513-946-3000

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/223-jason-flom-with-joe-d-ambrosio/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you heard about New Zealand's Brendan Dassey?

Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin take us across the globe to New Zealand with a story that hits way too close to home: a sixteen-year-old boy confessed to a rape and murder he didn’t commit. His wrongful conviction allowed the real offender, a serial rapist, to assault dozens of other women -- while Teina Pora languished behind bars for 20 years.

We are sharing this updated episode to announce that shortly after the original episode aired, New Zealand opened the Criminal Cases Review Commission, similar to a Conviction Integrity Unit, to investigate possible wrongful convictions. This is a step in the right direction. 

To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On March 24, 1990, Felix “Carlos” Bastarrica was shot and killed on the street in San Francisco, CA. Following the shooting, Candido “Peter” Diaz, started rumors that one of Felix’s friends, Joaquin Ciria, was responsible. Relying on the rumors, police immediately targeted Joaquin and coerced 18-year-old George Varela – the man who drove the actual shooter to the crime – to falsely implicate Joaquin. Based primarily on this, and despite the complete lack of physical evidence linking him to the crime, Joaquin was convicted of murder and sentenced to 31 years to life in prison. Earlonne Woods talks to Joaquin Ciria and Paige Kaneb, Joaquin's attorney.

To learn more and get involved, visit: 

https://ncip.org/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The prisons are filled with people convicted of murder who never killed anyone.

Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin take us to Dayton, Ohio where a young woman’s false confession to robbery gets turned into a false conviction for murder. There are two profound lies at work in the legal system here.

This updated episode shares with listeners the incredible work Tyra has been doing in recent years. 

To learn more and get involved, visit: 

https://ohiojpc.org/staff/tyra-patterson/

https://www.representjustice.org/about/ambassadors/

https://www.iamtyrafilm.com/ 

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessionsis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On May 19, 1975, Harold Franks was confronted by two men as he left a grocery store in Cleveland, OH. The men demanded Franks’ briefcase and, when he resisted, hit him with a pipe and splashed acid in his face. One robber then started shooting – killing Franks and injuring Ann Robinson, co-owner of the store. The perpetrators then fled in a getaway car with Franks’ briefcase. Authorities soon obtained a witness statement from 12-year-old Eddie Vernon, who said that the perpetrators were 18-year-old Ricky Jackson and Ricky’s friends, brothers, 17-year-old Ronnie Bridgeman (now known as Kwame Ajamu) and 20-year-old Wiley Bridgeman. Even though Eddie recanted his statements, authorities forced him to testify. Based solely on this child’s coerced testimony, Kwame was convicted and sentenced to death. Jason talks to Kwame Ajamu and Terry Gilbert, Kwame's attorney. 

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.witnesstoinnocence.org/

https://otse.org/

https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/7645a58de31e642eee4d46b0027f4b21/lovely-jackson-no-password

https://www.amazon.com/Trying-Times-Terry-Gilbert/dp/1733179526

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/257-jason-flom-with-rickey-jackson/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The thing about torture is that it works, at least if your only goal is to find a scapegoat.

Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin take us to Birmingham, England. In 1972, two pubs were bombed, and six innocent Irish men were tortured into giving false confessions. The Birmingham Six were freed in 1991, but the crime’s never been solved. To this day, the public demands to know who really planted those bombs.

This update shares the March 2022 court decision protecting one of the key tenants of journalism – anonymity. 

To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On June 19, 1988, 20-year-old Vincent Wright and 17-year-old Anissia Johnson were robbed at gunpoint by two men outside of a convenience store in Fort Lauderdale, FL. A third perpetrator also drove up to the scene in a brown car and instructed the gunmen to steal Wright’s car, which they did. 22-year-old Sidney Holmes came under police suspicion when they discovered that he drove a similar car to that of the third perpetrator – which happened to be one of the most popular cars at the time. Sidney was placed in multiple lineups, but the circumstances in which he was identified were entirely flawed. He also had a solid alibi. Nevertheless, Sidney was sentenced to 400 years in prison for a crime in which no one was injured, and that he did not commit. The two other perpetrators were never apprehended. Lauren Bright Pacheco talks to Sidney Holmes and Brandon Scheck, Sidney's attorney.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/sidney-holmes

https://www.floridainnocence.org/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One woman was forced to talk. The other was forced to listen. Both were powerless.

Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin tell us about a California man named Ricky Davis. In 1985, Ricky and his girlfriend, Connie, found their roommate brutally stabbed to death. Without any leads, the case went cold for 14 years until detectives convinced Connie that she had repressed memories of Ricky committing the crime.

This updated episode shares the news that the actual murderer in Ricky's case was caught and sent to prison. Also, California has new legislation that will help prevent what happened to Ricky from happening to others. 

To learn more and get involved, visit: 

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2644 

https://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On August 25, 1998, in Baltimore, MD, 2-month-old Collin began choking after being put down for a nap. Collin’s father, Clarence Jones, rushed Collin to the hospital when he realized he wasn’t breathing. Doctors became convinced he was a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome due to evidence of brain swelling and bleeding. Collin died 6 days later. Despite the fact that Collin had a prior history of health problems that could’ve contributed to Collin's condition, Clarence was sentenced to 30 years in prison for second-degree murder and child abuse. Jason talks to Clarence Jones and Lauren Kelleher, Clarence's attorney.

To learn more and get involved, visit: 

https://exonerate.org/

https://cifsjustice.org/#/main

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/172-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-shaken-baby-syndrome/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael was serving a life sentence until one person came to his rescue: his mom.

Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin bring us to Culpeper County, Virginia, to tell the story of teenage buddies Eric Weakley and Michael Hash. Local police solved a murder case by coercing Eric into falsely confessing and into falsely implicating his friend Michael as an accomplice. For years, lawyers couldn’t get justice for either of them -- until Michael’s mom found evidence that blew this case wide open.

We are updating this episode with the great news that, with your support, in 2022, Governor Ralph Northam pardoned Eric, and Eric and Michael are finally both officially exonerated, and justice has been served.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On October 18, 1996, 15-year-old Brian Bowling and his friend, 17-year-old Cain Storey, were in Brian’s bedroom in Silver Creek, GA when a gun went off and shot Bowling in the head, ultimately killing him. Storey initially claimed that Bowling shot himself while playing a game, however, he later falsely confessed to shooting Bowling, and was subsequently convicted of his murder. During the investigation, 17-year-old Daryl “Lee” Clark also became a suspect as the state believed that he acted as an accomplice who helped kill Bowling to exact revenge for an unrelated event. Despite evidence supporting the fact that Bowling accidentally shot himself, and Storey’s assertion that Clark was not present on the night in question, false testimony led to Clark’s conviction and ultimate life sentence. Susan Simpson talks to Lee Clark.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.mightycause.com/story/Supportleeclark

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/161-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-gunshot-residue-evidence/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How could a layperson see all the problems with this interrogation when the police couldn’t?

Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin tell us about Chris Tapp, just 20 when he endured a mind-bending, 25-hour interrogation that transformed him from an innocent man into a confessed murderer. Fortunately for Chris, he found an indomitable champion... in the victim’s mother, Carol Dodge. Carol convinced police to use a revolutionary new method of DNA identification to exonerate Chris and find her own daughter’s killer.

Since this episode originally aired, the real murderer, Brian Dripps, was tried and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Chris served this man's time, and the state of Idaho recently settled Chris's case for $11.7 million dollars in restitution.

To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessionsis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On October 16, 1995, in Waunakee, WI, 34-year-old Audrey Edmunds, a stay-at-home mother who often babysat for neighborhood families, was watching a neighbor’s 7-month-old daughter, Natalie, when Natalie became unresponsive. Audrey immediately ran to her neighbor’s house and called 911. The paramedics found Natalie with fixed and dilated pupils and taking short breaths. She passed away at the hospital that night. Natalie’s autopsy revealed extensive brain damage and a forensic pathologist determined that she died due to Shaken Baby Syndrome. Based on the theory of SBS, and because Audrey was Natalie’s caregiver in the hours prior to her death, Audrey was convicted of Natalie’s murder and sentenced to 18 years in prison. Jason talks to Audrey Edmunds and Keith Findley, Audrey's attorney.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.amazon.com/Happened-Audrey-Terrifying-Journey-Accused/dp/0985799803

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shaken-baby-syndrome-keith-a-findley/1143053792

https://law.wisc.edu/fjr/clinicals/ip/

https://cifsjustice.org/#/main

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Chicago, old habits die hard.

Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin bring us inside one of the worst police abuse scandals in U.S. history. For decades on the southside of Chicago, a group of white cops turned the interrogation room into a torture chamber for Black men. Those cops called themselves the Midnight Crew.

We are releasing this updated episode to share that even though the city passed a reparations bill that will compensate Jon Burge's victims and their families, the promise has yet to be fulfilled. 

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://chicagotorture.org/

https://chicagotorture.org/donate-2/

https://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On November 17, 1990, Doug Estes and Jim Bennett, who were separately out hunting, were found together, shot and killed at the Fulton State Game Area in Kalamazoo, MI. 38-year-old Jeff Titus had a farm near the scene and found one of the hunter’s missing weapons. Because of this, Jeff soon came under suspicion. However, Jeff had a solid alibi and was immediately cleared as a suspect – the case went cold for ten years. In 2000, Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit reopened the case and focused on Jeff. By trial, Jeff’s alibi witnesses were unable to testify on his behalf, and the prosecution’s circumstantial evidence was enough to persuade the jury. Despite significant evidence of another, more viable suspect, Jeff was convicted and sentenced to two concurrent life without parole sentences. Susan Simpson talks to Jeff Titus and Dave Moran, Jeff's attorney.

To learn more and get involved, visit: https://michigan.law.umich.edu/academics/experiential-learning/clinics/michigan-innocence-clinic-0

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So their theory is that a wandering necrophiliac comes across the body and defiles it?

Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin tell the story of how five Chicago teens were wrongly convicted of the rape and murder of their classmate - and how prosecutors tried to explain away the DNA that proved them innocent. This case happened during the early 1990s, when the media was saturated with misleading stories about youth of color committing violent crimes in groups. This "superpredator" narrative drove the wrongful prosecution of the so-called Central Park Five “wolfpack” -- but it didn’t stop there.

We are releasing this updated episode to share the news that, in 2021, Illinois passed a law banning police from lying to children during interrogations. If this law had been in place back in 1991, the Dixmoor 5 would never have been wrongfully convicted. 

To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In December of 2002, a mother dropped off her 3 month old daughter, I.Z., at daycare in Romeoville, IL. Jennifer Del Prete was working at the daycare center and later that day, Jennifer noticed that the girl was not breathing so she called 911. I.Z. died almost a full year later. The state hypothesized that I.Z. died of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS). Since Jennifer was providing care for I.Z. on the day she initially showed medical issues, Jennifer was charged and convicted of murder. Since Jennifer’s conviction, the validity of many SBS diagnoses has been questioned both in and out of the courtroom. In addition, evidence has been uncovered that some of the original medical experts in the case did not actually believe that the child died of SBS. Jason talks to Jennifer Del Prete and Pat Blegen, Jennifer's attorney.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/172-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-shaken-baby-syndrome/

Wrongful Convictionis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do we tell these stories?

Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin tell us the story of Peter Reilly, one of the first modern-day false confessors.

In 1973, police continued to interrogate 18-year-old Peter until he started to believe he was actually guilty of murdering his own mother. But Peter’s friends and neighbors believed in his innocence. Their small-town campaign for Peter’s freedom was eventually joined by a host of big name celebrities. 

This episode was originally the finale of Wrongful Conviction: False ConfessionsSeason 1. We are releasing this update because of its profound impact on Laura and Steve’s work and the movement for uncovering false confessions and wrongful convictions. It inspires the work that Steve and Laura do to this day.

To learn more and get involved, visit: https://cwc.law.northwestern.edu/

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On September 13, 1983, Delbert Baker was found dead – shot and with his throat slashed – in Auburndale, FL. Witnesses gave the police a lead on two suspects but they quickly dismissed it since one of the suspects was working as a police informant. A few months later, after a $5,000 reward was offered for information, another individual came forward and said that Juan Roberto Melendez was responsible. This person was known to dislike Juan, and on more than one occasion declared that he would “get” Juan. At trial, this individual’s testimony was the primary evidence against Juan, and despite a solid alibi and the complete lack of inculpatory physical evidence, Juan was convicted and sentenced to death. Over a decade later, a transcribed confession of one of the original suspects was re-discovered, in which he took responsibility for the murder, and declared Juan’s innocence. Gilbert King talks to Juan Roberto Melendez and Linda McDermott, Juan's attorney.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

www.witnesstoinnocence.org

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No body, no bones, no motive. Just a decades long nightmare that has not ended.

For the final episode of Season 2 Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin take us back to Ada, OK, for the second half of the story of Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot. When we left off last week, Tommy and Karl were sitting on death row, after police turned Tommy’s bad dream into a murder confession. This week, we hear about some serious twists in the case, from the discovery of the victim’s body to the revelation of hidden evidence that turned this case upside down.

Laura and Steve update us on everything that’s happened since the 2018 Netflix series, The Innocent Man, told Tommy and Karl’s story. There’s been some very good news for one of them….and a breaking story that brings some hope for the other.

Since this episode's original release, in January 2021, a District Judge vacated Tommy's conviction, yet he remained in prison while the state appealed. The state won, reinstating the conviction, and Tommy and his team are still fighting for his freedom.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

http://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/

https://www.facebook.com/tommywardslegalteam/

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessionsis a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He thought the police would recognize this was just a dream, not reality.

Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin bring us a story from Ada, OK where a young woman went missing. A few months after her disappearance, a man named Tommy Ward told police that he’d had a bad dream about her murder. Incredibly, the police took that dream and turned it into a false confession... and into a prison sentence that continues to this day, 35 years later.

Since this episode's original release, in January 2021, a District Judge vacated Tommy's conviction, yet he remained in prison while the state appealed. The state won, reinstating the conviction, and Tommy and his team are still fighting for his freedom.

At the end of this episode, Laura says that Part 2 will be available next week. However, this is a re-issue, so Part 2 is available right now in your feed!

To learn more and get involved, visit:

http://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/

https://www.facebook.com/tommywardslegalteam/

Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On October 3, 2004, in Port Huron, MI, Terry Ceasor was at home alone with his girlfriend Cheryl’s 1 year old son, Brenden. Terry and Brenden had been playing a game that consisted of Terry chasing Brenden behind the couch when Terry briefly stepped away from the room to use the bathroom. After he left the room, Terry heard a loud thud and found Brenden unconscious on the living room floor. The medical professionals at the hospital believed that Brenden was a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Terry was subsequently convicted of child abuse and sentenced to 2 to 15 years in prison. Jason talks to Terry Ceasor and Dave Moran, Terry's attorney.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://michigan.law.umich.edu/academics/experiential-learning/clinics/michigan-innocence-clinic-0

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/269-jason-flom-with-temujin-kensu/

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/172-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-shaken-baby-syndrome/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On New Year’s Eve in 1993, Hank Skinner fell asleep early on his couch after being rendered comatose from a cocktail of vodka, xanax and codeine. His girlfriend, Twila Busby, left for a party, and when she returned, she and her two sons were brutally murdered. Pampa, TX law enforcement knew Hank from previous charges and he was the sole survivor of the attack, so he soon became the prime suspect. Despite evidence that Hank was incapable of committing these murders, Hank faced 27 years on Texas death row. Hank was scheduled for execution in September of 2023, but tragically passed away in February of 2023 due to complications following a surgery for an aggressive brain tumor. At the time of Hank’s death, he and his team were still fiercely fighting for his innocence. Maggie talks to Hank Skinner, Sandrine Ageorges-Skinner, Hank's wife, and Rob Owen, Hank's attorney.

To learn more and get involved, visit: 

https://justice4hank.org/and-now/

https://justice4hank.org/in-memoriam-hank-and-his-friends/

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.