Wrongful Conviction

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 and still, 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.

On the evening of March 22, 1987 a businessman and father were robbed and killed in Dallas, TX. Just a few days later, 22-year-old Benjamine Spencer, a newlywed with a child on the way, was arrested for the crime. A reward for any information on the killing would lead several eyewitnesses to fabricate a story implicating Ben. Despite the fact that he had an alibi and there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime, Ben was sentenced to life in prison. He fought for the next 37 years to finally be declared an innocent man. To learn more and get involved, visit:https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/677738/bringing-ben-home-by-barbara-bradley-hagerty/ https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/no-way-out/ https://centurion.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 the night of July 15, 2008, 22-year-old Moustapha Oumaria was shot and killed while hanging out with three friends outside his Crown Heights, NY home. The three friends described the shooter as a black male wearing a white t-shirt and dark pants. When shown a photographic lineup, they identified Arvell Marshall as the shooter. But police had in their possession video surveillance footage that clearly showed that someone else was responsible for the murder. Nevertheless, Arvell was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-arvel-marshall-rebuild-his-lifehttps://lavaforgood.com/podcast/473-jason-flom-with-robbie-roberson/https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/205-jason-flom-with-james-davis-update/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.

In the winter of 1995, Joyce Dennis was killed during her closing shift at a laundromat in North Philadelphia, PA. Police then rounded up a group of teenagers and, over the course of several months, got them to implicate two of their friends for the crime, including Eddie Ramirez. Despite the fact that no physical evidence tied him to the murder scene, Eddie would spend 27 years in prison for a crime he’s always maintained he did not commit.  Click here to see the entire interview on our YouTube channel. To learn more and get involved, visit:https://www.wisemanschwartz.com/ https://painnocence.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 the morning of December 9th, 1984, 19-year-old Christopher Turner woke up to the police breaking into his bedroom with guns drawn. He was arrested for the murder of Catherine Fuller, who was assaulted, robbed, and killed on the evening of October 1st, 1984. Based on testimonies delivered under coercion, Christopher was convicted of first degree murder, along with 8 other defendants, and sentenced to life in prison. It was later revealed that the prosecution withheld vital information, including several eyewitness testimonies implicating a different suspect, thus violating the Brady Rule. Turner remained hard-working, resilient, and optimistic despite the adversity he endured. He was released on parole in 2011 and continues to engage in prisoner advocacy work. Send emails of support for the pardon petition to: 8thandH@exonerate.org The Soul Searchers - We The People: https://youtu.be/Ehx2HfA3Dc0?si=pQcRTUnCKQQh6Axc 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 December 28, 2007, a young man was shot and killed outside an apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ten days later, an eyewitness identified Marty Levingston as the gunman, and eventually, a jailhouse snitch would point to him too. Though the eyewitness expressed doubt at trial, Marty was sentenced to 15 to life for a murder he consistently maintained he did not commit. Click here to see the entire interview on our YouTube channel. Thank you to Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael P. Donnelly and Ohio Innocence Project attorney, Donald Caster, for participating in this episode.  To learn more and get involved, visit: The Dark Plea: One of the Most Coercive Abuses of Power Permitted in the Criminal Justice System  Ohio Innocence Project https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/422-maggie-freleng-with-angela-garcia/ 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 August 25, 1994, a woman found her boyfriend shot dead in his Louisiana apartment. His stolen car was found across from 16-year-old Eric Brown’s sister’s house. Without any DNA evidence, eyewitnesses, fingerprints, or murder weapon, the state took Eric to trial, and the jury found him guilty. That jury was composed of eleven white members and one black member. Two members of that jury also found him not guilty. Nevertheless, they sent Eric, a child, to prison for life without the possibility of parole. To learn more and get involved, visit: https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/391-jason-flom-with-george-toca/ https://www.instagram.com/esolid365/ 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.

Shortly after 18-year-old Tonia Miller brought her newborn home in Calhoun County, MI in 2001, she noticed something was off. Her baby wouldn’t eat much and she’d often gasp for air. Tonia asked doctors for help to no avail. “I don't know if it was because I was a young, unwed mother of two children on Medicaid,” Tonia says. “They didn’t take me serious at all.” Despite Tonia’s efforts to get her baby help, she would die at only 11-weeks-old, and Tonia would spend 18 years in prison for her murder. Click here to see the entire interview on our YouTube channel. 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. 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.

Shortly before 3 a.m. on November 16, 1992, 16-year-old Shaharain Brandon was shot and killed in Chicago, IL. An eyewitness who was with Shaharain at the time of the shooting talked to police numerous times in hopes of identifying the gunman. Despite not mentioning him numerous times in her initial interviews, the eyewitness ended up identifying Roosevelt Myles in a photo lineup. Despite no physical evidence tying him to the crime, Roosevelt was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the murder. To learn more and get involved, visit: http://www.helpbreakthechain.org/ https://www.bonjeanlaw.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™ Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.