Hosted by celebrated criminal justice reform advocate and founding board member of the Innocence Project Jason Flom, Pulitzer prize-winning podcast host and producer Maggie Freleng, and Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and podcast host Lauren Bright Pacheco, Wrongful Conviction features intimate conversations with men and women who have spent years in prison for crimes they maintain they did not commit. Some have been fully exonerated and reunited with family and friends while others continue to languish, with some even facing execution on death row. Each episode peels back the layers behind the stories of those who have found themselves caught in a legal system gone wrong, with illuminating insights from lawyers and leading experts sharing their in-depth knowledge about each case, from prison visits and courtroom battles to reexamined crime scenes and witness interviews. This gripping series reveals the tragedy of injustice…as well as the triumph that is possible when people step up and demand change.
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Delving into the alarming issue of coerced confessions, this episode dissects the psychological manipulation inherent in interrogation techniques, particularly the widely used Reid Technique. It highlights how factors like vulnerability, false incriminating evidence, and police deception can lead innocent people to confess to crimes they didn't commit, as demonstrated by a compelling computer crash experiment. The discussion also covers historical precedents and crucial reforms like the PEACE method and "not proven" verdicts to combat this junk science epidemic in the justice system.
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 taint...
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 Con...
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 e...
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://ci...
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 year...
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 ...
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...
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. ...
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,...
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 ad...
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 u...
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, Executi...
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 ulti...
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 ...
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 m...
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.wron...
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, Sergea...
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...
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.clev...
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 ...
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...
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 talk...
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 ...
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, visi...
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 ...
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 upda...
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 wi...
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 ...
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 hou...
