Wrongful Conviction

Since releasing the 500th episode of Wrongful Conviction earlier this month, we thought it appropriate to spotlight some episodes from the very first season of Wrongful Conviction. On the afternoon of November 4, 1986, the body of an African-American woman was found lying under a blanket near a busy highway in Brooklyn, NY. She had been strangled to death. A witness told Detective Louis Eppolito that he had been jogging on the day of the crime and had seen a white man and a black woman sitting in a gray car parked by the highway. The man said he then watched the white man walk to the passenger side of the car and pull out a body, lay it on the ground and place a blanket over it. Eppolito learned that Barry Gibbs knew the victim and closed in. Barry was charged and convicted of second-degree murder primarily on the testimony of the jogger who later recanted. Jason Flom, Barry Scheck (Co-Founder of The Innocence Project) and Vanessa Potkin (Director of Special Litigation for The Innocence Project) sit down with Barry Gibbs as he details his unfathomable odyssey. To learn more, visit: https://innocenceproject.org/cases/barry-gibbs/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava For Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On December 31st, 2009, in Detroit, MI, J.B. Watson was shot in a van while stopped at a red light. Witnesses identified Darrell Ewing as the shooter. Despite Ewing's corroborated alibi of attending a funeral at the Barden Hall Funeral Home at the time of the shooting, he was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.  To learn more and get involved:Follow Darrell - https://www.instagram.com/mrbeattheodds/?hl=en Read Diane Bukowski’s reporting on Detroit and the judicial system - https://voiceofdetroit.net/author/diane-bukowski/ Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a special episode of Wrongful Conviction, featuring guests Delia D'Ambra, host of Audiochuck's CounterClock, and Frances Watson, President of the Indiana Innocence Project. In Lakeville, Indiana in 1989, Reverend Bob Pelley, his wife Dawn, and Bob’s step-daughters, Janel and Jolene were found shot to death in their home. Bob’s teenage son, Jeff Pelley, was a suspect due to ongoing tensions with his father, which were exacerbated by him restricting Jeff’s ability to attend prom night activities. Jeff claimed to have left home to pick up his girlfriend, but inconsistencies in his alibi and the timeline raised suspicions. Jeff was ultimately charged with the murders in 2002, over a decade after they took place, and convicted in 2006 based on circumstantial evidence. He was sentenced to 160 years in prison. Jeff Pelley has consistently maintained his innocence, and post-conviction litigation raised alternate theories, including alleged ties between Bob Pelley and organized crime from his past life in Florida, potentially involving his friends and the Hawley family who were implicated in various financial crimes. Testimony from a woman supported the theory that Bob might have been targeted for his past illegal financial activities. However, this evidence was deemed inadmissible, and Jeff's requests for a new trial have been repeatedly denied. To hear more on this case, click the link below to listen to season 3 of Delia D'Ambra's CounterClock, from Audiochuck: https://counterclockpodcast.com/season-three/ To learn more and get involved, visit: https://indianainnocenceproject.org/frances-watson-president/ https://www.justiceforjeff.org/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On May 12, 1990, Ron Hilgenberg and his wife were driving in South Dakota on Interstate 90 when a passing vehicle opened fire, killing the 76-year-old man. Stacy Larson and two of his friends were charged with his murder despite no physical evidence linking him to the crime, and what his attorneys called an iron-clad alibi. Stacy was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. If you have information on Stacy's case, please call: (612) 624 4779 or email us at:  info@gn-ip.org To learn more and get involved, visit: Great North Innocence Project https://www.greatnorthinnocenceproject.org/ Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  On Wednesday November, 27, 2024, the night before Thanksgiving, Governor Gavin Newsom of CA granted a a “full and unconditional” pardon to Earlonne Woods, co-host and co-creator of the award-winning podcast, Ear Hustle. Earlonne helped create Ear Hustle while incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. In recognition of Earlonne’s achievement, we are sharing with you an episode of Wrongful Conviction where Earlonne appeared as a guest host. Congratulations Earlonne. We are eager to hear more from you in the future. <><><> On March 24, 1990, Felix “Carlos” Bastarrica was shot and killed on the street in San Francisco, CA. Following the shooting, Candido “Peter” Diaz, started rumors that one of Felix’s friends, Joaquin Ciria, was responsible. Relying on the rumors, police immediately targeted Joaquin and coerced 18-year-old George Varela – the man who drove the actual shooter to the crime – to falsely implicate Joaquin. Based primarily on this, and despite the complete lack of physical evidence linking him to the crime, Joaquin was convicted of murder and sentenced to 31 years to life in prison. Earlonne Woods talks to Joaquin Ciria and Paige Kaneb, Joaquin's attorney. To learn more and get involved, visit:  https://ncip.org/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In August 2005, 22-year-old Rosa Jimenez was sentenced to 99 years in prison for murder and injury to a child after a 21-month-old child she was babysitting choked on a wad of paper towels. The prosecution’s experts testified that Rosa had to have shoved the towels down little Bryan’s throat. And Rosa, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who didn’t speak English, had woefully inadequate defense. Years later, several top pediatric ENT experts concluded Bryan’s death had been accidental. And Rosa was exonerated almost two decades later.  Learn more about the practice of shackling incarcerated women who are giving birth:https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-commentary/childbirth-behind-bars-shackling-maggie-freleng-1234657748/ The Innocence Projecthttps://innocenceproject.org/ Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a 1976 case known as the “Cain and Abel Murders”, Jerry Allen Mark, a former Peace Corps volunteer and “hippie lawyer,” was convicted of murdering his brother Leslie Mark, Leslie’s wife, and their two children in their Iowa farmhouse. The prosecution argued that Jerry killed his family over a property dispute, citing alleged jealousy after Leslie inherited the family farm after their father passed. Authorities claimed he was nearby on the night of the murders and had purchased bullets similar to those used in the crime shortly before it happened. But no physical evidence was found that pointed to Jerry and witness statements which were withheld by the prosecution during his initial trial suggested he was miles away at the time of the murders. Nevertheless, Jerry was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without parole. To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.drake.edu/law/clinics-centers/clinic/wrongfulconvictionsclinic/ https://www.facebook.com/enicholscook/ 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. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the morning of April 26, 1980, visitors at Wildcat Den State Park in Iowa found the body of 22-year-old Michiel Winkel. She had been stabbed 17 times. From the start, police zeroed in on William Beeman, a local DJ with a reputation for being a womanizer. Despite the fact that William did not know Michiel, there was no physical evidence for the crime, and he had an alibi for the days of her possible killing, William was convicted of murder and remains in prison today.  If you want to help William you can contact the Muscatine, Iowa County Attorney, Jim Berry:https://www.muscatinecountyiowa.gov/141/Attorneys-Office or, The Drake Wrongful Convictions Clinic:https://www.drake.edu/law/clinics-centers/clinic/wrongfulconvictionsclinic/ Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UPDATE- Gary Benloss walked out of prison on November 20th, 2024, after 22.5 years. Jason was there to greet him. On April 10, 2002, Victor Vulcain was shot and killed in broad daylight in front of 201 Linden Blvd. Brooklyn, NY. There were several witnesses, each of whom provided a version of events to police that stood in conflict with the other witnesses; not even their descriptions of the shooter matched. No murder weapon was ever recovered, and no DNA evidence connected Gary to the murder. Yet, Gary was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life.  To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-gary-benloss https://www.freegarybenloss.com/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the evening of October 13, 1992, in the small town of West Liberty, Iowa, Corey Wieneke’s body was found in his bedroom by his fiancee. Annette Cahill, formerly Annette Hazen, was having an affair with him at the time and fully cooperated with the police investigation. But the case went cold for decades until 2017, when investigators got a tip from a woman saying that when she was nine years old, she’d overheard Annette confess to killing Corey while at a sleepover. Based mostly on this testimony, Annette was convicted of murder in 2019 and sentenced to 50 years in prison. If you’re interested in contacting public officials about Annette’s case, you can reach out to the Muscatine County prosecutor’s office: https://www.muscatinecountyiowa.gov/Directory.aspx?did=6 To learn more, visit:The Drake Wrongful Convictions Clinichttps://www.drake.edu/law/clinics-centers/clinic/wrongfulconvictionsclinic/ Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ronald Miller and Lori Johnson of Rockford, IL had a daughter, G.M., in 2010. In 2015, several days after an argument between Johnson and Miller in which Miller threatened to sue Johnson for full custody, Johnson reported Miller to DCFS. Shortly after, she obtained an order of protection which ended all contact between Miller and his daughter. Johnson claimed G.M. had told her that Miller touched her inappropriately and proceeded to bring her daughter to Carrie Lynn Children's Center to record a video accusing her father of sexual abuse. Before the trial, G.M. took back her accusation, telling her mother, her therapist, and the trial prosecutors that the abuse never happened. The trial proceeded anyway, and this information was not shared with the jury.  The prosecutors presented the testimony of a pediatric nurse admitted as an “expert in the field of child abuse.” Trial counsel called no experts for the defense, and Miller testified in his own defense. He was convicted by the jury on all three counts and sentenced to twenty years.  To learn more and get involved, visit:https://www.lengoodmanlawoffice.com/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On January 24th, 2007, Keith Washington, a police officer and former Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, was home with his wife and 6 year old daughter while they awaited a delivery from Marlo Furniture store. Two men, Robert White and Brandon Clark, arrived with the furniture, and while showing them to the master bedroom, Keith realized that White had broken away and was snooping in his daughter’s bedroom. Keith asked them to leave which started a fight. Overpowered by the two men, Keith shot them in self defense, killing Clarke. Meanwhile, 12 time convicted felon, Robert White, who wasn’t even a Marlo employee, became the state’s main witness. Keith was convicted and sentenced to 45 years, while Robert White continued his life of crime. Learn more and get involved at: https://oneinnocentman.org/https://www.gofundme.com/f/free-keith-washingtonhttps://www.makinganexoneree.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9d5w10I_kI&t=1shttps://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.

On October 27, 1997, a man was robbed and killed in Philadelphia, PA. Due to mistaken eyewitness identification, 19-year-old Tyree Wallace was implicated in the crime. Tyree was convicted of second-degree murder, robbery, conspiracy, and possession of an instrument of crime and sentenced to life in prison. To Learn more and get involved, visit: https://givebutter.com/tyree https://www.blankrome.com/ https://www.instagram.com/keirforpa/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Saturday, June 4, 1983, three members of the Ryen family, as well as their neighbor’s son, Christopher Hughes, were brutally murdered in the Ryen home. 8 year old Joshua Ryen survived horrifying injuries, including a hatchet wound to the head and a slashed throat. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office immediately targeted Kevin Cooper because he had recently fled from the California Institution for Men (CIM), a medium security facility just a few miles from the Ryen home. A botched crime scene left little to go on, so many believe they fixed evidence to make the charges stick while ignoring compelling alternative suspects. Kevin has been defending his innocence from death row for almost 40 years. California Governor Newsom recently ordered a full Innocence Investigation into the case. Kevin and his team are confident that this investigation will finally clear his name. To learn more and get involved, visit: https://freekevincooper.com/ https://kevincooper.org/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kevin-cooper-case-death-row-inmate-san-quentin-murder-new-developments-48-hours/ https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good Podcasts in association with Signal Co No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the night of August 2, 1996, Tom Rhodes and his wife Jane were on a boat ride on Green Lake, in Minnesota, when Jane fell overboard. Tom failed to find Jane, and her body was discovered the next day. Police suspected Tom from the get-go, focusing on previous marriage and financial troubles. This led the medical examiner to give his initial finding of undetermined cause of death a second look – working backwards from police suspicions, and eventually changing the cause of death to homicide. Tom was eventually sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder. Click here to see the entire interview on our YouTube channel. To learn more and get involved, visit: Tom’s art gallery as mentioned in creditshttps://www.thomasdgalleries.com/ Great North Innocence Projecthttps://www.greatnorthinnocenceproject.org/ Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Evelyn Malin was the 84-year-old owner of the Dollar Lake Store in tiny Shamrock Township, 130 miles north of Minneapolis. On the morning of February 24, 1998, she was found beaten and strangled to death in the living quarters that were connected to her convenience store. Over a year later, Brian Pippitt was charged with premeditated murder based primarily on the incentivized testimony of two witnesses who later admitted to fabricating their statements. Brian was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. To learn more and get involved, visit:https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-gov-walz-stand-up-for-justice?nowrapper=true&referrer=group-drop-site-news&source=group-drop-site-news Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the morning of June 12, 1994, Belynda Goff woke up to find her husband Stephen bludgeoned to death in their Green Forest, AR, apartment. From the jump, investigators pegged Belynda’s reaction to the tragedy as suspicious. That initial hunch would set the course of the investigation and subsequent prosecution, leading law enforcement to ignore far more plausible leads and key witnesses, and imprison Belynda for 23 years. To learn more and get involved, visit:https://innocenceproject.org/ Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good™ Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On January 16, 2009, Linda Bonner found her husband Franklin duct-taped to a chair in their Chattanooga, TN home, with tape over his nose and mouth and signs of blunt force trauma. He was dead from suffocation. Police found fingerprints on the duct tape, but no matches were found. Nine years later, in 2019, 23-year-old Angel Bumpass was arrested after failing to appear in Kentucky court for a traffic ticket. Her fingerprints were taken upon her arrest and automatically searched against unidentified crime scene prints. Police said her fingerprints matched two partial prints on the duct tape from Franklin Bonner’s case. Even though she was only 13 years old at the time of the crime, Angel was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.  To learn more and get involved, visit: https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/398-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-fingerprint-evidence/ https://www.instagram.com/justiceforangel/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsangelb https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26901702/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good™ Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On January 8, 1993, seven employees at a Brown’s Chicken and Pasta in Palatine, IL. were brutally murdered. With no solid physical evidence, police unsuccessfully chased down hundreds of leads. Local officials established a $100,000 reward. Still, the case went cold for nine years. Then, in 2002, two of James Degorski’s ex-girlfriends came forward with a story implicating James, and what they said would land him in prison for life. He continues to claim his innocence. To learn more about James Degorksi and to contact James, visit:https://jamesdegorski.com/ “The Brown's Chicken Massacre” by Maurice Possleyhttps://www.amazon.sg/Browns-Chicken-Massacre-Maurice-Possley/dp/0425190854 To learn more about Maurice:https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/Staff.aspx Bonjean Law Grouphttps://www.bonjeanlaw.com/ Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good™ Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

January 18, 2006, 3-year-old Trustin Blue tumbled down his basement stairs in Cincinnati, OH, became unresponsive, and later brain dead. Trustin had been under the supervision of his mother’s boyfriend, Lamont Hunter, at the time of the incident. When Trustin was declared dead, the police began suspecting that Trustin had been raped and abused by Lamont, and had not actually fallen down the stairs as Lamont claimed. The case against Lamont was centered around allegations of prior abuse against Trustin and the manner of Trustin’s injuries. Lamont  was convicted and sentenced to death for the incident.  To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/3k5jem-free-after-wrongful-incarceration-on-death-row https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/473-jason-flom-with-robbie-roberson/https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/410-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-shaken-baby-syndrome/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good™ Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.