x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Wrongful Conviction

Lava for Good Podcasts

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

true crime

All Episodes

35:27

#390 Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science - Bloodstain...

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/09/18

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

en-US

45:22

#389 Guest Host Maggie Freleng with Quincy Cross

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/09/14

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

en-US

31:33

#388 Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science - Bite Mark...

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/09/11

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

en-US

54:08

#387 Jason Flom with Eduardo Dumbrique and John Klene

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/09/07

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

en-US

48:47

#386 Jason Flom with Kristine Bunch

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/08/31

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

en-US

41:22

#385 Jason Flom with Al Cleveland

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/08/24

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,

en-US

41:20

#384 Jason Flom with Stephanie Spurgeon

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/08/17

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

en-US

40:02

#383 Jason Flom with Nelson Cruz

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/08/10

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,

en-US

33:04

#382 Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions - Walter...

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/08/07

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

en-US

44:15

#380 Jason Flom with Keith LaMar Pt. 2

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/08/03

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

en-US

36:11

#381 Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions - Daniel...

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/07/31

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,

en-US

36:12

#379 Jason Flom with Keith LaMar Pt. 1

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/07/27

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

en-US

31:16

#378 Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions - Hamid...

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/07/24

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

en-US

40:55

#377 Jason Flom with Tyrone Noling

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/07/20

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

en-US

32:45

#376 Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions - Norfolk...

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/07/17

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

en-US

36:03

#375 Guest Hosts Clayton English and Greg Glod with...

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/07/13

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

en-US

32:01

#374 Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions - Henry...

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/07/10

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,

en-US

47:42

#373 Jason Flom with Elwood Jones

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/07/06

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

en-US

30:34

#372 Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions - Teina Pora

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/07/03

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

en-US

42:20

#371 Guest Host Earlonne Woods with Joaquin Ciria

Wrongful Conviction ·

2023/06/29

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

en-US

515 results

Similar Podcasts

Morning Cup of Murder

Morning Cup of Murder

Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

Darren Marlar | Weird Darkness |...

Mystères & Inexpliqués - Le podcast sur les affaires paranormales

BTLV / Europe 1

The Rainy Day Horror Show

Dusty Mcballs

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline