Latest / Nightmare Success In and Out / Wrongly Convicted of Murder-24yrs prison-finally freed-Darryl Burton

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Wrongly Convicted of Murder-24yrs prison-finally freed-Darryl Burton · Nightmare Success In and Out

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A what happens when your worst fear becomes your reality?
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Hi. I'm Brian Cassidy.
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Welcome to the nightmare success.
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And Now podcast where we explore a, how to overcome your fears
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and Nightmares is set yourself free.
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We're going to be exploring this topic with guys that was in
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Leavenworth with and others who survived their own nightmare.
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These stories can be inspiring. Sometimes sad, there's some
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humor but hopefully you can come away with a nugget of something
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that will help you knock down some of the Prisons you built up
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in your own mind. Welcome Back Nine, most success
0:37
listener. So I know you guys come here for
0:39
the good stuff and I've got something good, really inspiring
0:45
story, and it's you know, we talked about on this show.
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What happens when your worst fear becomes your reality out of
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your depth? How do you survive?
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Well, I think maybe one of the biggest nightmares anybody could
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have is that you get pulled aside one day.
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A and somebody says that you are accused of a murder that you
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didn't do and that becomes a spiral that you get convicted of
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a murder that you didn't do. And you get life without parole.
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Well, and you get 20 and you get 24 years of fighting every day
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to prove your innocence, to finally get free.
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I've got Darrell Burton here and he is that guy, is the guy that
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lived that life and live that Nightmare, and he is here to
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share his story. Darryl burden.
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So happy to have you here, making the time, we actually set
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It up earlier today and and Darryl was getting his car
1:59
serviced. And the guy needed the the
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office. So we said, we'd wait, we got
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it. We got to redo this.
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So here we are. We're set up Darryl, welcome.
2:09
Thank you. Thank you Brett.
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Happy to be with you. So Darryl, this is one of those
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things that happens in our justice system that everybody
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when they hear about it. Just like oh man.
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How in the world could that happen?
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How in the world could something like that happen?
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And it happened to you and you lived it.
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Let's walk back a little bit. Take us back to Darryl Burton
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growing up in St. Louis as a kid, what was life
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like with Darryl Burton? As a kid?
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Well, I mean, as a kid, I grew up in the city of st.
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Louis a little bit, south of Ferguson, Missouri big family,
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lost family, and I nine of us. Nine siblings was nine of us all
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together, and then my grandmother had nine children.
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So had a lot of cousins, big family, and most of the families
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in the community with a large families, but as a kid you know,
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you and the sports, you playing, you know, with other kids and
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knowing which it causes you're doing and the back then.
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In the day when I grew up. A tumbling was the thing
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gymnastics. Yeah.
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And if you could tumble you wasn't cool.
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That was the thing. You have to know how to flip.
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So, how do you know how to clip? Yeah,
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I can't imagine. In your household.
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Mom, dad is everybody living in the house?
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Is it just it isn't? This was my grandmother's house.
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And everybody pretty much lived in my grandmother's house.
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If some of my aunt, some of my aunts they live, they had their
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own, you know, homes with their family, with their, you know,
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children. But my grandmother was she was
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the matriarch of the family, and everybody gathered at Grandma's
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house, then my mom and dad they moved and got their own house.
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My mom still in that house right now today.
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Yeah, but they both my grandmother and my mother and my
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aunt Samantha became single parents.
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Because, you know, I mean, as a relationship sometimes people
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get divorced, they split. Yeah.
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And they had to steal raise these kids but I mean, as kids,
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you know, we don't know. I mean, we knew we were poor but
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you still, we had fun, you know. It was exciting times when your
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kid you know, you see the world in a way where that's what it
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says like. And you know going to God and
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the kingdom of God is like children and I was just Like
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being, you know, filled with joy and happiness and you know, and
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feel with ideas that you know you can do anything, right?
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And oh, and that the world is just this is waiting at you
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every beck and call. And so that's how it was for me
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growing up. You know, you see, I saw
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everybody, you know, in the way that I saw myself, just
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genuinely good people. Nice people.
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And just trying to make a wait for themselves, and take care of
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those who they liked and loved over your high school years.
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Like What high school years, I didn't get a chance to finish
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High School. I mean, I went to high school
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and I dropped out, got kicked out, got in trouble as a young
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person, you know, at about 16 17.
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Then I went back to high school, I was trying to go back to high
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school soda and high school and which I got in and I talked to
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the academic counselor who said, you know, you so far behind in
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your credits, you can make the grade because academic wise, you
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know, I was good in both Athletics and academics.
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I was competitive in both couple of girls using make a little bit
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better grade than me. And I didn't like that, they
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thought, but but no, I was, I was, I was told that she said,
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you know, you going to be 21 years old if you, you know, go
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back to school and, you know, and try to get caught up, you
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might as well go get your GED. And, and I said, well, what can
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I do that? She said, was it Board of
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Education going to take the GED test and then, you know, if you
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get your GED, then you can just roll in college and go to
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Community College. So that's what I did took me.
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Four weeks, get my GED and, and I enrolled in college right
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before I got, you know, wrongfully convicted and sent to
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prison. Yeah, okay.
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So Darryl, let's walk through that because you're in the midst
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of, you know, when you're that age, you know, the kind of
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Everybody's doing what they're doing.
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You're getting your GED. You're getting into college.
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How did it, how does this all happen for you?
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What how does it transpire that you just get pulled out of your
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world into a nightmare? Well, I mean what happened is, I
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went and saw my parole officer because I, like I said, I got in
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trouble. I was about 17 and got in
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trouble with the with the law for burglary.
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And I did that admitted to, that was doing my time did my time
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and I was on Parole, few months left and I wouldn't talk roloffs
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his parole officer call the police came and arrested me, you
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know, for this murder. And they said I was responsible
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for the murder of a gentleman named Donald ball and the Family
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members of the, you know, of the victim.
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They were the ones who suggested my name to the police and try to
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say that few. The motive was over a girl who's
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had been dating the victim or allegedly dating the cousin of
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mine, which still don't have anything to do with me.
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Except we cousins Brothers, we are close family.
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So you sure if you mess with one, you mess with them all.
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Yeah. But it wasn't true and I'm glad
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in the lady. She wouldn't come to court and
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she wouldn't lie for the prosecutors and the All these
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you said, no, that's not true because she didn't date the
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victim hadn't dated him in over a year.
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And she's never dated my cousin. So so, but that's what they
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arrested. If I remember, right?
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They're all reading some of the because, you know, some of the
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stuff that you read online is Right some of its murky.
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And did you get pulled into a lineup?
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Yes, yes. I got pulled into a lineup.
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Yes, right and. And of course, as with all
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lineups, that, you know, the police they tell whoever, you
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know, these Witnesses, are they tell them who to pick.
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So I don't remember exactly. You know, what number I was in
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the lineup. I can't remember going back that
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forth, but I was, in a line of, I was in a couple of lines, I
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believe. Because a couple of witnesses
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snitch Witnesses, goalies paid informants and they pull me.
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Me that picked me out of the lineup, which bound over for
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trial. And so I was, I was the suspect
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who eventually became the defendant and the trial for
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capital murder facing the death penalty.
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So Darrell, I mean, I can't imagine you know, because I
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think that living in America, that's everybody's worst
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nightmare is that you get pulled into a lineup, you see it on the
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movies, you know these people. Lined up and you got somebody
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that's standing behind a, you know, a glass, you know, that
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you can't see, they see over and they can't see you and you get
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picked out of that. And then they pull you out of
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there. And they tell you, you're the
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guy, what's going through your mind?
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Yeah, I mean, I'm thinking at first, I'm thinking well, I
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mean, because I know I'm innocent.
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No one is going to pick me out of a lineup because they would
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be lying, right? Let's just walk up and so, and
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I'm, I'm pretty confident ensure that when they take me out his
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land up, there goes the okay. Well, you know, we got the wrong
10:00
guy, release me, and then I would go home, but it didn't
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happen like that, when I came, they came through and finish the
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line up when they came inside of the, you know, like it.
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See, it's got this two-way mirror and came as out of this
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room. They told all the other guys to
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leave I'll go back to the, you know, they say or whatever.
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And then they proceeded to take me and to another area to
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process me for the crime of capital murder, you know.
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And so it was unbelievable. It was a, it was basically a
10:29
shot and I was confused, but I still believed in the system.
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I said, man, I don't know. One goes to prison or to jail
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who and who's innocent? I just I didn't, I didn't
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believe that. What?
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I thought I was the only person in the world so that was what I
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was thinking it just, this is this, they're going to resolve
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this and they going to figure it out.
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Now, these are your family. They how did they find out about
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this? How do they find out about this?
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Yeah, when I found out about it I mean cause I get a phone call,
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I was able to call home and yeah, make a call and connect
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with my family and told him. And of course my family, you
11:08
know, believed in many believing - because we knew the victim is
11:11
the best friend of my older brother.
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We knew the guy, we always, you know, like I said, we run in the
11:16
same neighborhood and that's why they say was no motive, they
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never did say with the motor would.
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In fact, they said, we don't have a motive, we don't need
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one, but I got to people saying that, you know, Darryl did it.
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And that's what, you know, sent me to prison.
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Isn't but my family, and some of his family members.
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You thought that I was you know, and it's and also for a very
11:36
long time and then you got some in his family.
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I also feel like I'm responsible and that's not going to change
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even to this day. Well, I think one of the things
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is interesting, when you look back on the details of the
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story, the person who was murdered was shot the year
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before, and it didn't kill him obviously, but they never
11:58
Investigated that person as a potential a person that could
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have done this crime and the which is you know you you read
12:10
through this and you think how in the world could that happen
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but you know a lot of times what happens is that law enforcement
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can set up a narrative drive that narrative.
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I mean, you can see it, you know, you watch Dateline and all
12:25
these different things where people they get locked.
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In on something a subject and then they they put blinders on
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and all the most obvious things. They don't even look at because
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they've got this Narrative of this is the way that we're going
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to go after this. This is the way we're going to
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do it. What were you thinking as far as
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as, you know, as I was reading there, you get, you had a public
12:49
defender. How did that all come about for
12:54
you? Did you did you just meet this
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person and they came in and they said, hey, I'm defending you.
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And here's what we're going to do.
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How did that all work for you? When I had several public
13:06
defenders prior to the one that I end up going to trial with,
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they just kept switching lawyers, this, they, I mean, and
13:14
I didn't know what had a process was supposed to work, but I
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eventually ended up with a public defender, who I saw one
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time for one hour. That was it.
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And what I learned is something you just spoke about Brett is
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that this guy had shot this man a year prior.
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But that was one shooting, he had shot the man.
13:34
Three. Times.
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Wow. Three times before he finally
13:37
shot and killed this guy because they was fighting over drug Turf
13:40
into games, you know, it was fighting over this.
13:43
It was a drug war. Yeah, it's like the Al Capone
13:46
back in the day, was the modern-day drug war over drug
13:50
Turf. And oh, and they involve these
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guys, they was, you know, gangsters and pimps and drug
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lord, this what they did and the judge the prosecutor and my
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lawyer knew about that. And they agreed not to let the
14:04
We're here about that, the demands shot in three separate
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occasions, not in the same episode.
14:09
Three separate occasions and I knew that I didn't find this out
14:13
to some, you know, sometimes some years later.
14:15
But I'm saying, how could you say You by Justice, when you
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have this guy, who's a suspect who's still out there on the
14:22
streets? Yeah, a couple of years later he
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got killed also, you know, by you know, some of those rival
14:27
gangs but yeah. Yeah.
14:29
And if I again reading some of this stuff You know, the were
14:36
you not even in town? I was not even in town, man.
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I was in another state, the state of Washington and Tacoma
14:45
Washington. And I told the lawyer that and I
14:48
said look go get the airline tickets go and talk to, you
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know, my friend my best friend. He's up there.
14:53
You know I got an alibi all we don't need to do that.
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Like I saw a lawyer one time so I didn't get a chance to
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convince his lawyers. Do anything Allah descended?
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That's on the burden is on the state, you know, you don't have
15:04
to prove anything but that's not so you have to prove something
15:08
yummy I'm telling you they said presumption of innocence stays
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with the defendant. No not necessarily you know when
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you get charged with something, you got to prove that you're
15:17
innocent, you have to put up a defense that's just the way it
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is and so it sounds good in theory you know that you
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Presumed Innocent but in reality no, you are presume.
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Get when you come into a court room for a charge like that
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jurors automatically get a preconception that hey, if the
15:33
prosecution of rested, this person where they must have you
15:37
no evidence to say that. This is the one.
15:39
Who did it and then they paraded out of this case with me is out
15:42
of whole cloth or just a pack of Lies, but they parade all these
15:45
people in and no and the Jew what the jury's gonna think.
15:48
They're gonna think we're the prosecutor.
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Must have, you know, the evidence.
15:52
But this is just like, I say a pack of Lies man.
15:54
This case was built out of whole cloth of nothing but lies.
15:57
Well and and and it was I mean, looking back at what was going
16:02
on. You had the person that was at
16:04
the gas station where the, where the murder happened and that
16:08
person said this was a Skinned person there was about 5'4 or
16:10
55. Your dark-skinned person has 510
16:15
511, so that alone was was something the other people were
16:20
brought in. They said they were, they were
16:23
around there, they weren't even where they can see it.
16:25
And, you know, the those two people were also given something
16:30
to say, Hey, listen, say this, and we'll go lighter with you on
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this. That's the one thing that I
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think Darryl is important for people to To know about how
16:41
these things happen, the jury, as you said, they come in with
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the perception that this person obviously is done something bad
16:51
or they wouldn't have taken the time to go through this whole
16:55
process. Bring us to this point.
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Select this jury, get this judge here unless that person did
17:04
something really bad and what you just said the presumption of
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Innocence. Yes, it says that it is it is in
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the words. But the feel and the vibe is
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when you walk in that you're guilty and you have to prove
17:20
yourself and you know that attorney I was riding on the
17:26
words and not knowing the world of what it really was.
17:30
Because if you can't defend yourself, then the jury's going
17:35
to take whatever the prosecution says.
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And that's going to be at, you know, the one of the things I
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think is interesting in our justice system, The federal
17:46
system, this was a state case the federal system has a grand
17:49
jury where you go in and people think well the grand jury means
17:55
that both sides are heard. You've got the prosecution and
17:59
you've got the defense. That's not how it works at all,
18:02
our grand jury, you walk in and the prosecution only presents
18:06
their case and they listen to that and then they decide if
18:09
they're going to charge your not.
18:11
That's exactly. If you flip that, what your
18:14
situation was. Was is that she just let the
18:17
prosecution present their case and there was a defense that was
18:22
presented. So what is the jury going to do
18:25
the jury's? Going to accept what the
18:27
prosecution says? Because that's their story.
18:31
And I think from what I understand, This went on for, I
18:38
think a 3 days, this case, they brought in these different
18:42
Witnesses and snitches and whatever that we're getting off
18:44
on different things. And I correct me if I'm wrong.
18:50
Daryl, bit did the jury only deliberated for like 30, 45
18:53
minutes? Do you absolutely right?
18:56
Brett. Yes, 30 40 minutes.
18:59
If I mean that may be stretching it, they went out for about an
19:04
hour. I mean, I can't remember exactly
19:06
what time it was and went out like 10:00 10:00, whatever it
19:09
was, and but they came right back at 11.
19:11
So right before lunch time, right before 12.
19:14
Remember, serve me correctly, and, and I'm thinking, well, it
19:17
took 20 minutes to go to walk to the jewelry room in back, at
19:21
least 20 minutes later. And so, I'm thinking, what did
19:25
They Delivery Man ate. You know they had me convicted
19:29
before they left, you know, the courtroom I was they had already
19:33
made up in their minds that I was you know the person
19:36
responsible for this man's for his death and and I wasn't and
19:41
but you know I mean it's just like in a courtroom see this is
19:45
how this stuff is. So organized and control you
19:48
know just get a chance to talk, you got to answer questions you
19:52
know you don't get a chance to just get up there and just say
19:55
You know, and I could have got up and get past just like I'm a
19:58
little passionate with you now. No, you just think prosecutor
20:01
going to ask questions. You answered, you know and the
20:03
judge would try to it will control you if you just try to
20:06
speak and start talking and so you know it is it is a control
20:11
setting and is controlling slanted toward the prosecution
20:15
and the judge in this case was pro-prosecution and and the
20:19
jurors can pick that up and so enjoy and they pick up even my
20:24
so-called All public defender, which I call the public
20:27
Pretender pretending to defend me.
20:29
This person called me by the defendant.
20:32
Didn't even call me by my name. Call me the defendant, the
20:35
defendant ladies and young with call them in the same thing.
20:37
The prosecutor was called me the defendant.
20:40
So I mean does it humanizes you at all?
20:43
Yeah, exactly. So it was so it was so Darrell
20:46
when you when you when they actually come back.
20:48
Yeah. That's when they come back and
20:51
they come back in. And you've know that this hasn't
20:56
taken very long and they come out and they pronounce you
21:01
guilty, what, what, what is rolling through your mind at
21:05
that point. What do you what's, what, what
21:08
does a person think? At that point, I couldn't
21:12
believe it. I was shocked.
21:14
I was angry confused. I mean, every motion that you
21:19
could that you could feel, you know, inside of yourself.
21:25
And at least for me is what I felt.
21:27
I felt, you know, rage. I felt, you know, that these
21:31
people here just didn't listen to anything and I was angry at
21:35
the jurors, I was sure then only, I'm like, I was thinking
21:38
the entire process but I'm thinking you people In listen to
21:41
anything, you know it's almost like you know you don't care and
21:45
it's basically somebody kill this guy and this guy is good
21:49
enough to you know pay to pay penalty for it, you know.
21:53
Yeah. You know so it was like but if I
21:55
was related to them or if it was their relative sitting in that
21:58
seat or you know, sitting at the defense table, they would had a
22:01
whole different perspective. You know, when the judge would
22:03
have, if it was his nephew was son or daughter, prosecute the
22:07
police, all those folks, you feel differently when it's your
22:10
relative. Says I'm just someone I'm
22:12
insignificant to those folks is like okay he just he's another
22:16
black guy poor he don't have a good defense.
22:19
Well well you know he gets another one off the streets
22:22
basically you know. So they didn't care and and so
22:26
many jury came back that quick, they told me they didn't care
22:30
either. They didn't care, you know, and
22:32
somebody's got to pay for it. They will satisfy the victim's
22:35
family because, you know, they at least see somebody got
22:38
convicted for killing a loved one.
22:41
So what are the steps that happen after that?
22:45
Well, it's a long process. You know, they argued with the
22:50
Jewish. I just want to say this here, to
22:52
also for the record and I told the judge and he was allowing
22:55
those people to frame me and that he was a part of it and I
22:58
was going to fight this case till I prove that I was innocent
23:01
cause he, you know, was upset when I let me speak and he
23:04
blasted me but I didn't care, he turned as red as a Chinese flag
23:08
but if if I wasn't so dark he would have known how red I was
23:12
with anger and rage but the Then I got sent to the Missouri State
23:17
Penitentiary Time, Magazine described, Missouri, State
23:19
Penitentiary as the bloodiest. 47 acres in America.
23:22
Yes, at one time and that just closed down.
23:25
Now, by the way, I think they closed, it is low.
23:28
There's a thousand four, two thousand four and I was a young
23:33
father, my girl. He just had a child.
23:36
I had just enrolled in college since 1984.
23:40
Now we're going to go to college for business administration
23:42
sociology, but the daughter she was seven months.
23:45
I saw three times and see my little girl again for 25 years.
23:49
And so I get into this prison and come through these prison
23:52
doors and they open these big black Gates and everything went
23:55
in slow motion, even though it's been real time, but it's like it
23:59
was just you had a feeling every man on that bus.
24:02
We all stop talking and just look and we knew this is going
24:06
to be a different experience is like you've been transported
24:09
from one dimension to another and we got inside of this
24:13
prison, we got these shock was five.
24:15
Which apples to on our wrist. Black boxes.
24:18
One on the ways to on the ankles and we saw this huge Banner.
24:22
It said, welcome to Missouri State.
24:24
Penitentiary, leave all your Hope, Family and dreams behind.
24:28
Wow and was like enter into Dante's Inferno, he who leads,
24:33
who he, who enters her would not leave alive.
24:36
Basically, you're going to die in her.
24:37
No hope. No hope for you.
24:39
And they meant that in the family.
24:41
Can't help you in the dreams will be nightmares.
24:43
And so the price SS of getting out.
24:46
I can tell you a whole lot of stories about what it's like to
24:49
be in that place when you just dealing with Mayhem and chaos
24:54
and stabbings and killing this what I'm saying all the time,
24:57
like, what's wrong, what's wrong?
24:59
Little bit because you walking into a situation where you're an
25:03
innocent man being drug into one of the worst prisons in the
25:07
United States that they had to close down.
25:11
What was as you walk in and you get prison eyes.
25:15
Which they do to you. How do you walk into that world?
25:21
Yeah. Well, you know my mindset was
25:26
I'm angry at the system for what handful of people did to me.
25:30
I hated everybody pointing system anywhere in the world.
25:32
So I'm angry and my mindset was, you know, they took my freedom
25:36
from me. No one's going to take my
25:37
manhood because in prison guys going to challenge you for your
25:40
manhood if you know what I mean and your money and so that was
25:44
my mindset. You know you for before guy try
25:47
to make me into his you know any kind of property any kind of way
25:50
you know you're going to Have to kill me.
25:52
That was that was just, you know, that wasn't what you call?
25:56
No, negotiation no discussion, but you get in, and they strip
25:59
you down. Take tell you take all your
26:01
clothes off 30, 40 guys and you get naked right then, I know 30
26:05
40 men and they spray you with some kind of Lysol a book
26:08
repellent, I know every part of your body that has hair tell you
26:13
to shower off and then they're saying you prison
26:15
identification. Number the number, the
26:17
assignment was 15 3063 stepped on everything that was
26:21
connected. To me, and I had on pants socks,
26:24
coats shirts under clothes and I hated it.
26:27
I mean, it's been raining. It humanizes, you know?
26:31
Yeah, you just, you're nothing but a number Riley.
26:34
What? They call me back.
26:35
My whole name Darryl Bergman, I don't think I ever heard no one
26:39
comes ever call you by your first name.
26:41
Never first, name burden, 15 3063, that's where they address
26:45
me and I wouldn't answer to that.
26:47
Call over the intercom system sometimes, the gods will be
26:49
upset and they come inside. When you hear your number being
26:52
called us and I heard your number being called, I'm not a
26:55
number. You know, my name is Daryl
26:56
burden and so and they would say we're going to put you in the
26:59
hole. I was with me.
27:00
The whole man, I'm already in the hole is old prisons.
27:02
Oh, like I said, when I got, that was angry, man, I'm
27:04
innocent. So I know I shouldn't have been
27:05
there. So I was rebuilding, I was
27:07
getting a what you call, a lot of write-ups and, you know, CDC
27:11
DVDs. Kind of violation almost said a
27:12
lot of, but I got some disobeying orders because I
27:16
wasn't big on taking orders, and I knew that wasn't a wise thing
27:20
to do. I know I was Have to try to
27:22
figure out ways, where I can stay at least in population
27:27
where I could go to the law library because that was my
27:29
focus. As I got to get to the law
27:30
library. I got to learn about the law
27:33
because I knew the law put me here.
27:35
It's going to take the law to get me out of here.
27:36
I knew that much. I just didn't know how, because
27:39
I wouldn't I'm not a lawyer, but I think the interesting and
27:42
really inspiring part of this story is, as you were an angry
27:45
man, and, and justly, so, to be an angry man, but what I think
27:51
is, Is inspiring about your story.
27:53
And for people listening to this is that you never gave up on
27:57
your innocence. You know, a lot of people can
27:59
take victimhood and go ball up in a fetal position, feel sorry
28:05
for themselves and give up, and you didn't do that Darrell.
28:11
What I read was that? Yes, you were an angry man and
28:16
and rightly so, but you started studying the law, you Did
28:21
writing letters to Senators the congressmen and the name of the
28:28
group that took on innocence projects?
28:29
I don't have, you know, knows me the sentorria sentorria and
28:34
manages you begin writing to them and you didn't.
28:38
And I think one of the times they said, well, we're not going
28:40
to be able to get to your your case for, maybe 10 years or more
28:45
and you continued to ride them. Consistently right, them.
28:49
Consistently right everybody. And, you know, I think what
28:54
nobody knows what they would do in a situation like that.
28:58
Nobody knows until they're in that situation.
29:02
But there was something burning within you that chose you to be
29:08
the person that you are that you didn't give up because if you
29:11
would have given up there, all you'd be there right now.
29:14
I mean, there's no doubt that if you hadn't written the letters
29:18
and you wouldn't have continued to represent yourself to educate
29:23
yourself on who I should write to how I should write to him how
29:26
and and stay into that. Mantra, you'd still be in
29:31
prison. It's a fascinating thing because
29:36
you have you know you know one of my favorite movies is
29:41
Shawshank Redemption because you know you know red says you
29:44
better get busy living or get busy dying.
29:46
That's really the only thing you can do in prison you get busy
29:51
Livin and and try to work your way into something.
29:55
Or get busy dying and you see those guys all over the place
29:59
and prison somehow some way And I think this is the most
30:04
interesting thing about your story is that you knew you were
30:07
wrongly accused of a murder that you did not convict.
30:10
Are you do not commit but you didn't give up on it.
30:14
You didn't give up on. What do you think that was?
30:16
I mean what what do you think that?
30:18
Is because so many people given that situation would say, I give
30:23
up, I give up Yeah, Brent, you're right.
30:28
And that's a lot of guys who do give up.
30:30
Like I said, it was, I use my anger.
30:32
I was so angry at the system and the judge in that I said, you
30:37
know, that's when I told my mom fight this case, and I'll prove
30:39
that I'm innocent. So, I had something to prove, I
30:42
had something to prove, and, and I ain't, and I don't get me
30:44
wrong. I almost went in the wrong
30:46
direction. You're a few times with that
30:48
anger and which could have caused me to be there to get
30:51
killed or whatever. And that prison, I mean, I had
30:53
to fight, you know, I went in 147 pounds, man.
30:57
You know, I had I had to pump some iron and I had to get in
30:59
always do so mr. Man.
31:00
You gonna have to beef up in her five nickels and he we got some
31:04
big dudes in there, man. Huge, and so 147 pounds, you
31:08
know, couple of guys come at you, you know, you know, to 10
31:11
and you know, solid as a rock where you going to do fight is
31:16
best. You can.
31:17
So by anger man was that compelled me like you said you
31:21
know to get into the law books and started reading the law and
31:25
instead of the law and then you A few other guys.
31:27
And also within the library, find the cases.
31:29
I don't know if they was innocent or not and I didn't
31:32
hardly talk about - because Zu people say everybody says
31:34
they're innocent. Yeah, that's until you get
31:38
convicted in prison. Why was that most, guys, they
31:40
don't want to hear about you saying you're innocent.
31:42
They like man. Look, if you're innocent prove,
31:43
it ain't nobody interested in her and that's the really the
31:46
general attitude. Not a guys say it didn't happen.
31:48
The way they said it happened. While I got too much time,
31:51
right? But what they said I did most
31:52
guys don't even talk about being innocent, and I didn't even Cuz
31:56
you get into a debate which is when being a fight because I
31:59
know how medicine and you telling me I'm not gonna be mad,
32:02
you know. But yeah, I began to write these
32:05
letters, man. I'm beginning to do, you know,
32:06
file, these motions, these pleadings these briefs.
32:08
I kept getting denied denied, denied could've been my middle
32:11
name during the night Burton but I didn't I didn't stop filing
32:15
these motions man, all the way from State Court, all the way to
32:18
the Supreme Court. And then, yeah, I wrote letters
32:20
hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of letters, man from
32:22
the United States, Canada, Europe Parliament, heads up,
32:26
These presidents Governor's Senators, represent, Oprah
32:29
Winfrey, wrote the church. I wrote it right?
32:31
You think of sports figures if you came on TV and oh, and they
32:35
pop your name up there, whoever you was.
32:39
And I felt like, hey man, I need to get my message and my story
32:42
to this person I found out where you were located and I wrote to
32:46
you know your organization and that's what I did the Centauri.
32:50
Yeah I saw they was on TV and 60 Minutes doing a 1990 doing a
32:54
segment on a woman that got out of prison.
32:56
Asian who served nine years he didn't commit and I submit they
32:59
have an innocent people get out of prison where they got to help
33:01
me to and 1990 I wrote them and they wrote me back and say yes
33:05
we free innocent people but it'll be ten years before we can
33:08
get to your case. We so backlogged we take a, we
33:11
get 1,000 requests every year. We take it to a couple of cases
33:14
a year, you know, I so would look, I got 75 years without
33:17
parole. So I'm going to write you for 10
33:19
years. And my mind, if you take my case
33:21
in 10 years and get me out, then I'm 65 years, I won't have to
33:25
do, you know, 60, C5, whatever the case may be, right?
33:28
And they took my case, Ten Years Later in 2000 and got me out
33:32
eight years after that 2008, for those 18 years from the first
33:36
letter that I wrote to that organization and I kept seeing
33:39
them get people out every year. That organization is getting
33:41
somebody out, you know, in another state.
33:43
I know for, you know, crime, they didn't commit.
33:46
I'm like, man, when is going to be my turn?
33:47
Well I I got to be coming up at some point, but I had to do
33:51
something to do with. I had to deal with that anger.
33:54
I had to do something with that anger because I Couldn't come
33:56
out of that place as angry as I was, while I was in that place.
34:00
How did you everybody angry? Everybody's everybody's angry.
34:03
Everybody's on edge? Yes, and Darrell.
34:07
How did you adjust to that new life?
34:10
You know that unfamiliar world. What how did you you know, I
34:14
know you went to the law library, right in.
34:16
But you had to also exist in there.
34:18
What did you use any different type of strategies to make your
34:22
days happen? Because you were in there for 24
34:26
years. Yes.
34:28
Yeah, you know, the thing you you know, to stay away from
34:33
certain things you got to avoid as best as you can.
34:36
You can't tow that board, everything, but some things, you
34:39
know, there's just going to be some trouble maker for you.
34:41
If you get involved in the prison hustle and the prison
34:44
culture, you know, and that's getting involved in, you know,
34:48
same gender relationships, and, you know, and trying to hustle
34:52
and make money like that. And if you getting involved in,
34:55
you know, and the drugs and getting involved.
34:57
I lived in gambling. You're getting involved in
34:59
buying and borrowing things from other prisoners.
35:02
Then you're setting yourself up for some, some problems.
35:05
My main focus was the law library.
35:08
Now, angle side and get involved in some, you know what, we call
35:11
some hustle in prison because I know I had to earn a living in
35:15
prison also, but I definitely won't get involved in dealing
35:18
with, you know, trafficking in human beings.
35:20
He people traffic in human beings in prison, and that's the
35:23
money maker but that's also that most business game in prison.
35:27
You know, that's the game that gets you stab and get you hurt
35:30
and get you killed quicker than anything.
35:32
We don't know women in prison, you know?
35:34
And so guys are into other men and they fight to the death,
35:39
over some other man's body and those are things.
35:43
And no one had to tell me that, you know, as I just look, you
35:48
know, around the prison, you know, I'm just, you know, I'm
35:51
real observing, you know, and then I wasn't interested in any
35:54
way, you know, I went in heterosexual.
35:55
So that was, you know, this is who I am but I just knew you
36:00
know that just observe most of the stabs into fights and it was
36:04
happening over some relationship situation in the first day.
36:09
In fact, the first day I got to this unit.
36:11
First day, I got to this unit. They locked us behind these JC
36:14
gate. Many guys, we got our bed linen
36:15
and close eye on the first day. They lock that gate.
36:17
Boom, we walk 10 feet and made me her some remnant who in turn
36:22
it around and two, guys for stabbing these two other guys
36:25
and it was about one guy. And then make another guy into
36:28
his, you know, into his sex toy and these guys, they just, you
36:33
know, and they Staffing these guys and that was the first day,
36:36
the day that I got released. I was just saying that, that was
36:40
the first day and yeah, and that prison, I guess it was the
36:42
bloodiest 47 acres in America. But the day that I got released
36:46
Brent, which is August. 29 2008, a Russian the man on this
36:50
journey to the prison hospital. Blood just running off.
36:52
This journey has rolled in bed guy, cut his throat from ear to
36:55
ear tried to decapitate. That was it.
36:57
Day that I left when I got exonerated, proven, innocent,
37:00
and so much more in between. It was man, it was hell on
37:03
Earth. That's the way I can describe
37:04
and I didn't go in a religious guy.
37:06
I wouldn't have believed in God, I mean, but I do.
37:09
Remember, I can tell you this quick story.
37:11
Is that a guy? He was marking around to all the
37:15
new guys that you know, came to the prison and he was out like
37:19
you know, he wasn't a trustee, he wasn't a guard, he was an
37:22
inmate but you know some convicts got ways of moving.
37:25
This guy was different. He was It was strange its own
37:28
way I can describe and right? And so he came to my cell, he
37:31
went to a few other. New guys are all you want to do
37:33
guys here, right? So I'm thinking he's sizing me
37:35
up. So I'm on my defense, I'm on
37:38
guard, I'm uncomfortable with talking to strangers in this
37:41
place. Anyway, I said yeah.
37:43
Well what's up man? What's going on with it?
37:45
What's up with you? He said well I just want to tell
37:48
you, you know, in this prison you going to Dance with the
37:51
Devil. That's what this guy was saying,
37:52
and he look his eyes looked strange, you know?
37:55
I said, look, man, I don't believe.
37:57
In the devil hail God, you know, I don't believe in love that you
38:01
can get away from me with that, and he step closer to the cell
38:05
and he pointed at that number that was over my left breast
38:07
pocket. It's all you don't believe in
38:09
inhale, you don't believe in the devil, huh?
38:12
He pointed that numbers, a year, where the devil believes in you
38:15
and he started laughing hysterically man and walked away
38:18
and other guys, start, you know, kind of chiming in laughing with
38:21
it. And man are not looked at that
38:23
number and, you know, 15, 30 60 and I added the 1 and the 5
38:28
together that was six the 3 and the 3 was six and a zero to
38:32
666666 man I guess it will the devil believes in you and I
38:38
thought about that you know you going to dance with the devil
38:41
and he was right because it was sometimes when I danced with
38:44
something that I knew was trying to take my life.
38:47
Yeah let's walk through the cuz I mean once they did take your
38:51
case. it took eight years can you kind of walk us through that
38:57
process of what happened Darrell cuz I mean, I'm sure you were I
39:02
don't know what that would be elated that this this
39:06
organization says, hey we want you we want your case, we
39:09
believe in you, so that had to feel good.
39:13
But then you know that there's this they're not just going to
39:17
let you out, you got to you got to fight for everything.
39:21
You have, how did that all work? Yeah, Brett are you right?
39:27
When the organization centaurian took my case man.
39:29
It was the happiest day of my life because I was seeing them
39:32
on the news. I mean just frequently getting
39:35
someone out and when they came and took my case they told mr.
39:39
Darrell when we take your case and commit to your case, we're
39:42
going to stay with the case to your free.
39:43
And they said that they said only way we don't as if you know
39:46
you're on death row you get executed or you die in prison.
39:49
God forbid you get killed. They said but we're going to
39:52
stay with you in case until we get you out.
39:54
But it's going to take some time and What they told me, they said
39:56
me up said, look this not going to happen overnight the average
39:59
time. It takes to get a person out as,
40:00
you know, 57 years or more but we're going to fight till we get
40:05
you out. We got to go back and look at
40:07
all the evidence. In the case, look at all the
40:09
records, all the files and we got to go through it.
40:12
I'm talking they said we're going to go through it line by
40:14
line and and because what we've seen so far, give us clear
40:19
indications that you're innocent man.
40:21
And so that's what we say sofa, but we got to go back and we
40:24
investigate. So as Going to take time and
40:27
they said what we want you to do is stay out of trouble and give
40:31
us your word, you won't do anything in this prison to keep
40:34
us from getting you out, you know, that is get into a fight.
40:37
You get into a night fighter hurt.
40:39
Somebody get hurt and and when you come out, you're just gonna
40:43
live your life and do and be a good reflection, you know.
40:46
For for yourself as you got my word, you know, I said but it's
40:50
hard to promise you in prison. I got to survive in her, you
40:53
know, and I got to do whatever it take.
40:55
You know, to save my life and I ain't gonna let nobody, you
40:58
know, if I can let nobody hurt me.
41:00
Yeah. You know so and that's what I
41:02
told him. I said I'm going to do my best,
41:04
you know, but I'm in prison. It's different.
41:07
Then you guys made me what you are on the streets.
41:10
How many, how many turndowns did you get there all through this
41:13
process? as far as writing people and no,
41:17
no, as well once they took your case, I know that I think it
41:20
went Oh man, all the way through it.
41:24
I think maybe the yeah, yes, yes, what always is a pretty
41:29
cool. Yeah, we got turned down.
41:30
I mean, just one after another, when they took my case and start
41:33
filing motions with the court, the federal court, State Court,
41:36
local courts, Supreme Court, and then eventually came back to a
41:40
state court. And after eighth, Circuit Court
41:42
of Appeals said and I'm going to quote him a little bit verbatim,
41:46
the judge. He said, yeah, three judge panel
41:50
said, but my case trouble them they said, The facts.
41:52
In this case, that's been on Earth, you know, it's suggested
41:55
Missouri, convicted, an innocent man with no small degree of
41:58
reluctance, we did not burn his wrist even though the facts
42:01
suggest, this man is innocent and we hope through the
42:04
statement jewelry the through the judicial and executive
42:07
branch. Take a second, look at this
42:09
case, that's where they said. That it crushed me.
42:11
I can't imagine I read that Darryl.
42:13
I couldn't believe. I mean this judge went a whole
42:15
paragraph of basically saying that you were wrongly convicted.
42:20
Yeah, yeah. And I'm Lawyers from around the
42:23
country said they had never read an opinion like that even to
42:25
this day you know guy wrote a book and put my case you know,
42:29
in his book and he's talked about that day.
42:31
It's a man. This is one of the craziest, you
42:34
know, opinions they've ever written they've ever read and,
42:37
and I couldn't believe it. And then my lawyers, they seemed
42:40
like they was excited. You know, getting opinion like
42:43
that. I mean, it was I mean, I did one
42:45
slap and high-fives and that's just not in front of me.
42:48
But man, I heard afterward that they cried like a baby today.
42:51
They didn't understand, you know, why they do those judges
42:55
could write something like that and not grant me relief, so then
42:58
a nope, that an opening happens, right?
43:00
With the Missouri Supreme Court that somebody was released and
43:05
they say this organization saw an opening that this could work
43:09
for you. Is that correct?
43:13
Well, there was a Supreme Court decision, Sloop versus de lo que
43:18
which he was on death row. In that case got overturned.
43:22
And the lawyer who argued that case in the Supreme Court is
43:24
Sean O'Brien, which is a member of a, miracle of Innocence are
43:28
on our board but that Kate be, that case became the gateway to
43:33
let you know, State prisoners, present new evidence and a
43:37
constitutional violation to present that back to the state
43:40
court judge and all federal Judge.
43:43
That was the Gateway year. That got me back and front of a
43:47
state judge. A judge who, by the way was the
43:49
one who puts loop on death row. Same judge this was and then
43:53
when you went back to the state judgment was that Callahan at
43:56
the time? Yeah.
43:58
That was callaghan's. Yeah.
43:59
George Kelly and he was the one who had prosecuted the Snoop
44:03
case and put soup on death row. In case got reverses, the
44:05
Supreme Court and it was the same judge I was going in front
44:11
of and the lawyers was I'm me Darryl, we just don't know if
44:14
you know, this is what you call a long shot of all long shots.
44:18
And this is your last opportunity in any Court to get
44:20
relief. Because man, we don't know where
44:23
else we're going to go. This judge, don't grant you your
44:25
freedom and I said, let me pray for y'all right now.
44:28
I have become a Christian and believe about it.
44:30
I said, man, let me pray for y'all in this courtroom right
44:32
now because it's going to be bigger than you all.
44:35
This is going to be God's doing. That's what I believe.
44:38
And yeah, it was good and just Callahan did it.
44:41
He granted me relief. Well, where he's God.
44:45
And I mean, I just can't imagine there'll after all that time,
44:49
what you must have been thinking when that happened Well, man, I
44:56
can tell you what I was thinking.
44:58
And it's one thing and Jim because he says it best, I knew
45:01
the truth. And the truth was going to
45:03
forever be with me. Whether they, let me go and not,
45:05
I knew the truth, but it's something else that I was
45:08
seeking that I couldn't get and that world of chaos, and I had
45:12
to figure out how to get it. And that was peace.
45:15
And I got it from one verse in the Bible.
45:17
And that's when Jesus said, father forgive them for, they
45:20
know, not what they do, Luke's gospel. 2334 that one verse
45:24
began to Transform my heart and I'm saying this guy was
45:27
innocent. There's at least eight or nine
45:29
times when he said he was in executing them and he was so
45:32
giving these people on the cross and the point of dead and I said
45:36
this guy can forgive at the point of death and I'm in the
45:39
land of living. So at least, I can begin to try
45:42
so, but that was the beginning of, you know, because I had to
45:44
do, we deal with that rage and hate, but then that was the
45:47
beginning and having me and asking me as challenging me to
45:50
pray for people. I hate it.
45:51
Even my enemies. So that's when things begin to
45:54
start to turn for me. Internally.
45:56
And that's what I was thinking. I was thinking internal peace,
45:59
so whether they let me go and not 10 years, before I got out,
46:02
I had found this piece that I had been seeking.
46:04
I was free inside me and gave all my stuff away, guys.
46:07
It felt man, this guy he got on this God, Jesus kick, he's
46:11
losing it gave all my Christmas stuff away twice.
46:15
So those guys course they took it.
46:17
I surely did so Darrell when that happens because I don't
46:22
think people even know how that happens.
46:25
When you when you get exonerated by the core, what happens that
46:29
day? What?
46:29
Where do you go? What happens?
46:33
Well, you know, when I didn't know I was getting out that day.
46:35
Yeah, I had went on when you know you have your regular
46:38
routine detail when they when they do, they count, they count,
46:42
you know, every two hours and so the count that was you know,
46:47
about 6:00 for the 7:00 detail. They opened the gates and say,
46:50
okay, you guys who ever going to work, go to work.
46:52
You work called, you're going to school whatever.
46:55
Look. So I went to my regular 7:30,
46:57
went to my assigned job, and there's a case worker came to me
47:01
with a sheet of paper that one sheet of paper, and he had this
47:03
real intense look on his face. And man, and you know what that
47:06
look is on a case with his face and he got a piece of paper
47:08
start going to the whole. It's it's not, yes, that is not
47:12
a good scenario but this time it was different.
47:16
He said, Darryl, I need to talk to you right away and he was
47:18
proud and all up and I'm like, okay man, I'm saying to myself,
47:21
here we go again because I've been to the whole you know, I've
47:23
been you know sure who the Oh Gammy.
47:26
And he said, look this lady Palm in the business off this
47:28
morning. Did you know, don't worry was
47:30
going home and she was firm with me and I need some information
47:32
right now. I said, what?
47:34
Wait a minute man. And I was, you know, it was
47:36
surreal and I wouldn't believe in him that I had all had been,
47:40
you know, like you say see so. Well, he seemed like the courts
47:43
going to ruin my favorite in the bottom fall out.
47:46
But then a few minutes later, here comes the warden of the
47:49
prison, he came. So both of these guys are saying
47:52
this to me and I'm still not believing it.
47:54
So what? Look just go back to your house
47:56
and unit and pack your stuff and it was on a Friday.
48:00
He said look and I just say this here, don't call your mom.
48:03
Anybody yet, you know, because I need to get an email.
48:06
They're not going to retry you and if they gonna, you know, say
48:09
they dropping this case, then I'm going to release you.
48:11
Today, you're going to be a free man.
48:13
Today they go retry, you. They can take you back to st.
48:15
Louis. Yeah.
48:16
And I saw a man, okay, I said I believe it when I see it.
48:19
He said, we'll just go back as I need to call each call.
48:21
My lawyers. Yeah.
48:22
Is it Walker? Call your lawyers.
48:23
And that's what I did. I went back to The housing unit.
48:25
And I was calling a lawyer, the third call, I was going to
48:28
lawyers about 8:30, now, they don't get to the office.
48:30
You like ten, some of them and he came in here.
48:34
Come the warden again. He had this huge smile on his
48:36
face with his hand. Extended say congratulation
48:39
there, you've been exonerated you this man, we got to get you
48:41
out of this prison ASAP. And I said, this Rascal man, let
48:45
me just shower and say goodbye to the guys, you know, that some
48:48
folks in man, you should've been hurry up, man.
48:50
I want to shower. I said I'm going to take me a
48:51
shower. No I just I mean I went to work.
48:54
I didn't do a whole lot. Out of work.
48:55
But that was my routine and it was gonna be the last time.
48:59
You know, that I showered in that place and I told my
49:02
roommate Bunkie cellmate. I said, hey man, pack my stuff,
49:06
I'm out of here. I'm I'm a free man today, I'm
49:09
innocent and and of course, they five minutes.
49:14
The whole housing unit of 275 men, do in five minutes within
49:18
an hour, the whole prison knew everybody in the whole Camp
49:21
knew. I was exonerated and found
49:23
innocent. Wow, Oh girl, unbelievable.
49:27
So you walk out of there and it's been 24 years.
49:34
How do you, how do you leave? It was hard to process, it was
49:39
so real and I had to go, as you know, they both was one, had
49:43
they caught. He's pushing the cart with my
49:44
belongings on it and they both just peppering me with a lot of
49:47
questions. You know, there are what you
49:48
going to do soon as you get out. You know, you you go and see
49:51
your mom and you're going to eat something, you know, pairing me
49:53
with all kind of question. I said, man, you know fellas, I
49:55
don't know, I haven't been out there almost quarter of a
49:57
century. Yeah.
50:01
And I really didn't. So, and I'm listening to them,
50:04
but I had to ask myself those questions to sure.
50:06
You know, I am Well, I'm going to live, you know, how long it's
50:10
going to take me to get a job. You know, I'm asking myself.
50:12
All these old questions? I mean, what kind of work can I
50:14
do? You know?
50:15
And yeah, and then they ask me cause, you know, Maggie, do you
50:17
have a girlfriend and you gots? No, I don't have a girlfriend
50:20
man. I've been in to know when you
50:22
will not want a woman to put a like on hold.
50:24
You know, I don't know when I was getting out but then they
50:27
got me in. What's called this behind the
50:30
controls? In the area put me behind his
50:33
huge window pane and went from floor to ceiling here.
50:37
Huge. It'll look like it was 10 feet
50:39
tall and guys who couldn't come why I was and I couldn't go back
50:45
to where they was but they would come up, you know, and they
50:48
would maybe be, I don't know, a few yards from me, 20, 30 yards
50:52
and they were just, you know, was telling me goodbye.
50:55
See you darling pain and it just throwing up heat and was your
50:58
world? Yeah, I grew up those guys, man.
51:02
You know. Yeah, I grew up with for 25
51:05
years so that's who I knew. That's, you know, I knew These
51:07
guys, we grew up when we was kids, you know, went in there,
51:10
you know? Yeah, it's kids, man.
51:12
So yeah, that was my world. That's what I knew.
51:15
What my world was their world but I had to survive and live in
51:18
it. Yeah.
51:19
You know. And he did, you adapt it and
51:21
survived and got out and got exonerated.
51:25
It's just an incredible story. So, Darrell.
51:29
So you get out what and I know there's a thousand things
51:32
spinning it around in your mind because re-entries is one of the
51:35
tougher things. And you know I think every year
51:37
that goes by when you're in prison I think re-entry becomes
51:41
that much more difficult. How did Yuri intersociety What?
51:46
I had some, I had some support. I didn't have any support that
51:51
came from the state, the state didn't give me anything and
51:53
then, compensate me, you know, I just has to be DNA, right?
51:57
Is that what you told me? Missouri.
51:59
Missouri DNA, yet. Everything else.
52:02
She's 24 years. You don't have any DNA.
52:05
We can't thank you for the 24. Yeah, not even the job.
52:16
Offer, you know, they don't give you a job offer, Brent, nothing
52:19
and so Joanna, reintegrate back into society.
52:23
Like I said, I didn't know what I was going to do, but uh, I
52:25
found a church home. Some church folks began to help
52:28
me and other folks in, I was on television a lot and I started
52:31
going around speaking, that's how I made a living.
52:33
I was speaking because I couldn't get a job for two
52:35
years. No one would hire me.
52:36
I had no work skills. I finally got an interview and I
52:38
said, man, if I could just get an interview with somebody and I
52:41
can tell him my story because then I had filling out
52:44
applications on computer online. I've never done that before.
52:47
So everything the whole world was different cell phones, you
52:50
know. Technology.
52:52
It was a challenge for me and reintegrating.
52:54
Back into society was hard, it's not easy, but anyone who's been
52:58
gone for any length of time, you know?
53:01
I don't understand my family, they don't understand me.
53:03
Some of them. Look at me, just like, I've been
53:05
on a long vacation, I'm back. Everything's normal.
53:08
No, no, I mean I'm dealing with some trauma.
53:10
Yeah, and I got PTSD so you know, I couldn't go around
53:14
crowds that made me nervous. Certain things with triggers for
53:17
me. It was a lot of things that I
53:19
was trying to just to, you know, I mean, people cut in front of
53:22
you in line out here, you know, I'm like, you can do that in
53:24
Fresno. You know, you could do that, you
53:27
couldn't cut in front of some. I didn't present without it.
53:30
It was going to be a confrontation.
53:31
But out here sometimes, just like, who are you?
53:34
You know what I'm like, man. It's, it's different.
53:38
Yeah, people talking crazy to you out.
53:41
Here is just, there's a level of respect and prison that you're
53:44
going to get whether you learn. Deserve it and that because
53:48
guys, they don't want to add an estimate you right, you know.
53:51
And they know if you know in that some guys do disrespect
53:55
anybody. Yeah.
53:56
But by and large, most of the folks, you know, and they're
53:59
going to, you know, talk about himself being yeah.
54:02
Yeah. It won't try to be at peace with
54:03
you but I'd heard, yeah. So, so a lot of triggers, man.
54:06
Lot of triggers, a lot of things that even now I've been out for,
54:10
you know, but decade now, I still have struggles out here.
54:15
And even to this day, Yeah, I've been out 14 years.
54:17
What do you think your biggest struggle after being out for a
54:20
decade? What's the thing?
54:21
They didn't you control. It just, you know, seem like,
54:24
you know, everything is controlled and it's controlled
54:27
in me, you know, it's like I got to make these different, you
54:30
know. I can make these what I would
54:33
call other folks, you know, I'm on other folks, agenda all the
54:36
time. Just like in prison, you want
54:38
their agenda, some other folks that Jenna all the time, you
54:41
know, okay, Darryl, get over here.
54:43
Do this. There'll be here, be here,
54:44
there'll be that, you know, it's like That's what it was in
54:47
prison. Only just be here, get over that
54:50
go over and out of bounds, you know?
54:52
I mean, I guess I said man that's like, you know, a lot of
54:56
things and a lot of things that I just don't understand
55:00
technology Wise. It's a struggle.
55:02
I didn't you know it give it a flip phone in my hand.
55:05
I don't I mean I don't understand technology.
55:06
I don't miss this stuff. Is I'm still struggle with it,
55:10
just like with this computer stuff, getting online and zoom.
55:13
I'm a whole lot better now since I had to learn The whole world
55:18
changed. I mean, you know, there was no
55:20
internet, there was, you know, when you got out 2008, the
55:24
iPhone had just been born, you know, a Facebook, I think was
55:26
born in 2004. All those things that happened
55:31
happened while you were behind the walls.
55:33
And, you know, it's, you know, I always say you don't get down to
55:36
prisons, like, trying to jump into a moving car.
55:39
And I, and I think one of the things that may be the most
55:44
misunderstood because there's Way they're all that I can
55:47
identify with 24 years, you know, I was sentenced to five
55:50
years and but one of the things I can identify with is that you
55:56
want to plug back into the world and all these things are going
55:59
on in your head. Are you happy and elated and
56:04
excited and like a five-year-old going down the stairs.
56:06
When Santa Claus is there on Christmas Day?
56:08
Absolutely, but you also have these other things going around.
56:12
Like, where am I going to get a job?
56:13
How am I going to plug back into the family?
56:15
What have they been doing? And since I've been gone, can I
56:17
get back in? Am I going to be a burden and by
56:20
you know, all these different things that are just flying
56:22
around and you have to try to plug into those things
56:26
immediately. It's not like, you know, they
56:29
give you, okay. We're going to let you out and
56:32
then for the next, you know, year we're going to slow walk,
56:36
you into this program that we have for you to get out of
56:40
prison. Now, they just plug in.
56:42
So let's go. So I think it's just incredible
56:44
what you've been able to do. As you were able to get through
56:49
all that, get back into society. Can you tell us a little bit now
56:52
about what you're doing as Darrell Burton?
56:55
Because I know you and I talked about, you've got a book coming
56:57
out. I know that you you went
56:59
through. We'll just tell me what all
57:01
you've been doing. Yeah, oh yeah.
57:04
Brent, yeah. Since I've been home, I was able
57:07
to assimilate back into society as best as I can.
57:11
And, you know, started the family got married and went back
57:16
to school. Went to school for Seminary
57:19
School st. Paul School of Theology and
57:21
preparing a degree in Divinity, a master's degree in Divinity
57:25
which was harder because the technology.
57:28
Yeah I could read the books and do the, you know, curriculum
57:30
study. But the technology that I almost
57:32
Quit three times because the technology then up in the church
57:34
called Resurrection Church of the Resurrection United
57:36
Methodist Church of the Resurrection, which is the
57:39
largest Methodist Church in the United States.
57:41
And I'm one of the associate pastors there.
57:45
And then me and another exoneree Lamont McIntyre.
57:49
We started this organization, a nonprofit called Miracle of
57:52
innocence. And so what we do is help other
57:54
innocent people get out of prison.
57:56
But something you just said Grant is that you know the yeah
57:59
getting out of prison. That's one step, but what are
58:01
you doing? A youth.
58:02
Yeah, really great and assimilate back into society.
58:05
Well, our program help people, when they get out, you know we
58:09
help them get out and help them. Once they come home we helped
58:11
him with get an identification Transportation communication,
58:14
you know, job placement, it's Counseling Services, whatever
58:18
that need is. We help them with that because
58:21
you know it's it's like a culture shock.
58:23
You could have dropped me in the middle of Japan and I figure it
58:26
out you know on your own. And so we walk with him as
58:29
mentors, you know and help them because man I They got a lot of
58:32
resources for people who committed the crime, when they
58:34
come home and I wouldn't ask for some help and they told me we
58:37
can't help you did our first. We have to get them.
58:40
Yeah. You Edison we you know, it's
58:41
like somebody walking off the streets and ask for resources
58:44
from us will get lose our funding.
58:46
You got to start an innocent program for you guys.
58:48
We can't help you. That's what they told me.
58:50
Yeah, I said what, man, I did 25 years is here.
58:52
We know that, but we sorry, but now they help innocent people
58:56
too. So they won't the funding for
58:57
that as well. But when I got out, they
58:59
wouldn't help me. So, that's what I said, you
59:01
know. So we're going to start a
59:02
program to help them get out and help them.
59:04
Once they come home. I love that and your dubbed is
59:09
the Miracle Man on the internet, you know, the but the your
59:15
project. So just don't people know how to
59:17
donate because I think what you're doing is so cool Daryl.
59:21
It's called The Miracle of Innocence, right?
59:25
Miracle venice's dot org. Yeah, so anybody who wants to
59:29
donate to that, you can actually go to Darryl.
59:31
You can actually type in Darrell Burton and go to his home page
59:35
on his website. And it's got, its got a place
59:38
there that you can actually says donate to free the innocent.
59:42
So it's I just think it's so cool what you've been able to
59:45
do, because so much about what this show is about is, you know,
59:52
being able to get through your day.
59:55
Nightmare. But then to be able to use it
59:57
and, you know, Darrell you've lived that you have lived that
1:00:01
you didn't give up. And you could have, you didn't
1:00:05
give up when you got out because the technology and everything
1:00:08
you said, you probably felt like quitting three times but you got
1:00:10
through that now you're one of the or the biggest Methodist
1:00:14
Church. I can't imagine how good of a
1:00:17
minister you are preacher. I mean for somebody to share,
1:00:23
you know, the vulnerabilities of what you've gone through and to
1:00:27
have the forgiveness in your heart to will yourself to and
1:00:34
what that means, man, it's just really powerful stuff and
1:00:40
Darryl, you know, I always ask people this on this show going
1:00:45
through the Journey that you've gone through because this isn't
1:00:50
something that you signed up for.
1:00:53
You didn't know this was going to happen to you and your life
1:00:56
but you lived it and you are the man you are now because of it.
1:01:00
What do you think's your biggest takeaway from all these things
1:01:04
that you've went through. Well, the biggest takeaway, I
1:01:09
don't know if it's a single biggest take away, what I will
1:01:14
say, and maybe it is that I have a conscious contact with God.
1:01:18
Now, how power I went in as an unbeliever and nothing was going
1:01:22
to change that had I not gone into that prison, which was hell
1:01:25
on Earth. As for all grew up in the
1:01:27
Baptist, Faith, tradition. And I had literally Suave and
1:01:31
religious community that was organized was not going to
1:01:35
accept it. And I got an ID Place.
1:01:38
Nothing man. All this even and I was here,
1:01:40
it's got to be an opposite to this because boy, this is bad,
1:01:44
nothing? Yes, this is nothing like and I
1:01:47
don't wish this on anyone on my worst enemy and so that was the
1:01:52
probably the the thing and it gave me peace saying that I will
1:01:56
be found peace. Yeah yeah that's that's at the
1:02:00
top you know and even right now being back into society and you
1:02:04
said you know, the journey with a journey is not over.
1:02:06
Well, I'm still on the journey, you're on the journey field.
1:02:10
And in the second biggest thing on next to the biggest thing is
1:02:13
that I've learned how to deal with adversity and power through
1:02:18
it with perseverance. That's what they told me, it
1:02:21
taught me that, you know, no matter how tough things can get,
1:02:24
and it's going to be tough for a lot of us in life.
1:02:26
If not all of us in life, just power through.
1:02:29
And I just say something quickly that a guy came in the prison.
1:02:33
He was outside. Guess, you know, you get outside
1:02:36
guests come. Talk with something.
1:02:38
He said that was key that kind of held me held me together in
1:02:42
the times. I was really in Low Places and
1:02:44
he was talking to a group of prisoners.
1:02:46
He said, look you guys I know this is Hell on Earth.
1:02:49
You guys, this is depressing being in prison is no fun at
1:02:53
all. He said, but I want to challenge
1:02:54
you guys to don't give up and don't quit five minutes before
1:02:58
your miracle happened. I remember that guy said and you
1:03:01
know, and I and I held it into my heart and my head because I
1:03:05
could look out fine. Five years.
1:03:07
That was too far tell on the five days but I could do five
1:03:11
minutes at a time. So a lot of that time I broke it
1:03:13
down in five minutes, promotes elaborate increment.
1:03:16
I love ya because everything in prison, you go out five years.
1:03:19
That's way too much that's overwhelming.
1:03:21
Can you, can you win the day Canyon when the day and get
1:03:23
through it Darryl? You know?
1:03:26
I I'm so honored that you were able to make time to do this.
1:03:32
I've been excited to, I've told my family, we had our family
1:03:35
over the weekend. I said, Can't wait to interview
1:03:38
Darrell and man, your story, it's inspiring.
1:03:42
And, you know, people people build up prisons in their own
1:03:47
mind and they can knock them down.
1:03:49
If they can do what you did, you just keep stepping through that.
1:03:52
Keep knocking it down. Keep and and like you said, you
1:03:56
can get through it. You know, nothing is as bad as
1:03:59
your mind makes it out to be. And and you just, you find you
1:04:03
found a way. You just found a way and you
1:04:05
can't find in a way. Yay.
1:04:06
And now, you know, like you and if anybody again I want to make
1:04:11
sure that everybody's got its Darryl, Burton typing it in, you
1:04:15
can go to his website, it's got all kinds of stuff on there and
1:04:19
be able to donate to the miracle of Innocence.
1:04:23
Been able to listen, to the American man here today.
1:04:28
And Darryl, you do have a book coming out, right?
1:04:31
Yes, I do. Innocent a second.
1:04:34
Look, it's coming. That's like it.
1:04:36
So look for that. That look for that folks can
1:04:38
look yes, second look and if anybody else is looking for, it
1:04:43
isn't innocent: a second. Look.
1:04:47
Got it innocent yeah: a second look.
1:04:50
Right. Love it.
1:04:53
Darrell if anybody else is looking for a book out there
1:04:56
deals is coming out. I've got 19 more success,
1:04:59
loyalty, betrayal Life Behind Bars.
1:05:02
Adapting, finally Breaking Free. For those out there, love love
1:05:08
the feedback. Love the likes on social media
1:05:11
comments. Please go to Apple and leave a
1:05:14
review that helps out the show for how they promote it.
1:05:17
You want to know, leave me a message, broadcast e.com, all
1:05:22
kinds of stuff there as I used to say, when I was typing my
1:05:26
e-mails back. When I was in prison, stay
1:05:29
strong. I'll do the same nightmare
1:05:32
success in and out there all Burton.
1:05:34
Thank you so much, man. Hey great.
1:05:37
Thank you, man is awesome. Appreciate it.
1:05:40
Appreciate it.