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.

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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. 

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

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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.

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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.

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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: 

[email protected]

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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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 Freleng is a production of Lava for Good? Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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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.

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?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 Freleng is a production of Lava for Good? Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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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.

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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 Freleng is a production of Lava for Good? Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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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.

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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.

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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 Freleng is 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
[email protected].

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is 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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Freleng is a production of Lava for Good? Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 [email protected], 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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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
[email protected]
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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Grove which 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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.