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.

Wrongful Conviction

#426 Maggie Freleng with Jason Walton

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.

#425 Jason Flom with Larry Smith Jr.

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.

#424 Maggie Freleng with Odelia and Nerissa Quewezance

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.

#423 Jason Flom with Fabian Santiago

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.

#422 Maggie Freleng with Angela Garcia

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/abouthttps://secure.givelively.org/donate/the-giving-back-fund-inc/the-clara-and-james-gibson-foundationhttps://www.instagram.com/imjamesgibson/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/3z.musichouse/?hl=enhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn-kCEoD6_Yhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYguC3ZanKTh3A7hB_AvnxQhttps://www.actioninjurylawgroup.com/cases/james-gibsonhttps://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.

#421 Jason Flom with James Gibson

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.

#420 Maggie Freleng with Wilson Rivera

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.

#419 Jason Flom with Matt Huang

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 #704283302 Corrections DriveNewport, AR 72112freenikkizinger@gmail.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.

#418 Maggie Freleng with Nikki Zinger

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#417 Jason Flom with Larry Walker

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.

#416 Jason Flom and Maggie Freleng with Andre Brown (Live from the UJC Summit 2023)

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.

Wrongful Conviction 2024 - Trailer

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.

#415 Maggie Freleng with Faye Jacobs

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#414 Guest Host John Huffington with Elmer Daniels

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.

#413 Jason Flom with Rickey Jackson

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, 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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Wrongful Conviction

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