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#447 Jason Flom with Darien Harris · Wrongful Conviction

0:03
Speaker 1: On June seventh, twenty eleven, twenty three year old Rondel
0:06
Speaker 1: Moore was driving down South Stony Island Avenue in Chicago
0:10
Speaker 1: with his friend and his brother. Rondell was having car trouble,
0:15
Speaker 1: so they pulled into a gas station. While Rondell and
0:19
Speaker 1: another man looked under the hood, a black sedan pulled
0:22
Speaker 1: into the lot. A gunman exited the sedan and opened
0:26
Speaker 1: fire on Rondel's car. Two men were injured, and Rondel
0:31
Speaker 1: Moore was fatally shot. An APB went out for a
0:34
Speaker 1: black sedan in the area and a young man in
0:37
Speaker 1: a black sedan was arrested. Eventually, that young man said
0:41
Speaker 1: that he had dropped off someone nicknamed King Chucky at
0:44
Speaker 1: the gas station. Police scoured social media and found Darien
0:49
Speaker 1: Harris aka King Chucky, who was subsequently identified from a
0:54
Speaker 1: lineup by three witnesses and sentenced to seventy six years.
0:59
Speaker 1: But this is a wrongful conviction. Wrongful conviction has always
1:09
Speaker 1: given voice to innocent people in prison, and now we're
1:12
Speaker 1: expanding that voice to you. Call us at eight three, three,
1:17
Speaker 1: two oh seven, four six sixty six and tell us
1:19
Speaker 1: how these stories make you feel and what you've done
1:22
Speaker 1: to help the cause, even if it's something as simple
1:24
Speaker 1: as telling a friend or sharing on social media. We've
1:28
Speaker 1: really appreciated hearing from our audience so much so that
1:31
Speaker 1: we've included one of the messages at the end of
1:33
Speaker 1: this episode. So stick around for that, and if you
1:35
Speaker 1: have something to say, we definitely want to hear it,
1:39
Speaker 1: and you might just hear yourself in a future episode.
1:42
Speaker 1: Call us A three three, two oh seven, four six
1:45
Speaker 1: sixty six. Welcome back to Wrongful Conviction today's story. You're
1:59
Speaker 1: going to be stunned at one particular aspect of this case.
2:02
Speaker 1: That is like it would be more appropriate for a
2:05
Speaker 1: movie that was set up as a comedy than something
2:09
Speaker 1: so deadly serious as this case. It's my great honor
2:13
Speaker 1: to introduce our two guests today. First of all, a
2:17
Speaker 1: name fans of the show will recognize Lauren Myers Koff
2:21
Speaker 1: Maller of the Exoneration Project in Illinois. Lauren, welcome back
2:26
Speaker 1: to the show.
2:27
Speaker 2: Thank you so much. Jason, I'm excited to be back
2:29
Speaker 2: with a newly released client.
2:32
Speaker 1: Darien Harris. Darien, I'm so sorry for what you've been
2:35
Speaker 1: through that brought you to this microphone today, but we're
2:38
Speaker 1: honored to have you here as well.
2:40
Speaker 3: Yeah, I appreciate you allowed me to be here on
2:42
Speaker 3: your platform as well.
2:43
Speaker 1: So let's go back even before this murder that you
2:47
Speaker 1: ended up being charged with. You're only eighteen at the time,
2:51
Speaker 1: so there's not that much to even cover. But what
2:54
Speaker 1: was your life like before this title wave of insanity?
2:59
Speaker 3: A family, good, supportive family, you know, but the sisters.
3:02
Speaker 3: I was in high school, I was playing sports, you know.
3:06
Speaker 3: I was living my life basically and just having a
3:09
Speaker 3: good life, you know. And no matter what I was
3:11
Speaker 3: doing while I was outside of having fun with my friends,
3:14
Speaker 3: I wasn't doing no crimes or nothing like that. I
3:16
Speaker 3: was just being a typical teenager and just enjoying my life.
3:20
Speaker 3: And I was set to graduate from high school the
3:23
Speaker 3: week before I got locked up, and I got to
3:24
Speaker 3: set in to Georgia State.
3:26
Speaker 1: Sounds like you had a pretty bright future. You were
3:28
Speaker 1: into music as well, right.
3:30
Speaker 3: You know, at the time, just being creative. We were
3:33
Speaker 3: just raving about things we come up seeing and things
3:36
Speaker 3: like homies might be doing something. Was just having fun,
3:38
Speaker 3: you know.
3:39
Speaker 1: Around that time, Darien appeared in a RapidIO with a
3:42
Speaker 1: few other guys, some of them were tied up with gangs,
3:45
Speaker 1: and it seems like gang tensions and the hand fisted
3:48
Speaker 1: approach of the Cook County police were at play in
3:50
Speaker 1: this wrong for conviction. There was a shooting on June seventh,
3:53
Speaker 1: twenty eleven, at a gas station on South Stony Island Avenue.
3:57
Speaker 1: If you're looking at it on a map, there's a
3:59
Speaker 1: McDonald on the corner above it to the north, and
4:02
Speaker 1: then Jackson Park across the street to the east. The
4:04
Speaker 1: gas station is a rectangular lot with a depot at
4:08
Speaker 1: the center, and just before eight thirty that evening, twenty
4:11
Speaker 1: three year old Rondel Moore was fatally shot and found
4:14
Speaker 1: towards the backside of the depot.
4:16
Speaker 2: The victim had gone to the gas station with some
4:21
Speaker 2: friends and his brother. They were having issues with the
4:23
Speaker 2: car and this black BMW comes into the parking lot.
4:27
Speaker 2: What the police say happened is someone gets out of
4:29
Speaker 2: the black car, goes over and shoots at the victim,
4:34
Speaker 2: Rondell Moore, and then there are a few other people
4:37
Speaker 2: who are shot. There's Marcus Diggs, Quincy Woollard, and then
4:41
Speaker 2: the victim's brother, Ronald claimed that he was shot at,
4:45
Speaker 2: but the video doesn't really bear that out. So Rondell
4:48
Speaker 2: is the only one who is killed, and most of
4:50
Speaker 2: the people said that they didn't see who was shooting.
4:53
Speaker 1: Both Marcus Diggs and Quincy Wollard could not identify their shooter,
4:57
Speaker 1: but Rondell's brother Ronald. The gas station attended Joe Tony
5:00
Speaker 1: and two alleged witnesses, Dexter Saffold and Aaron Jones, all
5:05
Speaker 1: later made identifications and gave their own versions of events. Luckily,
5:09
Speaker 1: there was surveillance footage.
5:10
Speaker 2: There is surveillance video of the crime. You can't make
5:14
Speaker 2: out much about the person committing the crime, you can't
5:17
Speaker 2: see his face, but you can learn some details that
5:21
Speaker 2: really helped to kind of unravel the case and show
5:23
Speaker 2: what really happened.
5:24
Speaker 1: At fourteen seconds after eight twenty seven pm, a black
5:28
Speaker 1: sedan pulled into the gas station from the north and
5:31
Speaker 1: stopped at the south end, ready to pull back out
5:33
Speaker 1: onto South Stony Island Avenue. The shooter got out of
5:36
Speaker 1: the car and walked out a frame as he got
5:38
Speaker 1: close to Rondell's car and shots were fired. All the
5:41
Speaker 1: witnesses agreed that Rondell ran west toward the back of
5:44
Speaker 1: the depot with his friend Marcus Diggs ran north towards
5:48
Speaker 1: the McDonald's at eight twenty seven forty seven. The shooter
5:52
Speaker 1: also ran to the backside of the depot, then ten
5:56
Speaker 1: seconds later ran to the south end of the lot,
5:58
Speaker 1: where we're not sure if he got back into the
6:00
Speaker 1: black sedan, but either way he fled south. The shooting
6:04
Speaker 1: was reported on a few nine one one calls, including
6:06
Speaker 1: from an alleged onlooker named Dexter Saffold and an APB
6:10
Speaker 1: went out at eight thirty pm for a black sedan
6:13
Speaker 1: and the police pulled one over in the area.
6:16
Speaker 2: Now, initially, the brother of the victim ran to this
6:20
Speaker 2: black car that was pulled over nearby, yelling you killed
6:23
Speaker 2: my brother. You killed my brother. So they take that guy,
6:25
Speaker 2: the driver, into custody, Aaron Jones.
6:28
Speaker 1: According to Ronald Moore's initial statement, the shooter had dark
6:31
Speaker 1: skin of mohawk and fled in the black sedan. Aaron
6:34
Speaker 1: Jones did not have a mohawk and was alone. Maybe
6:38
Speaker 1: this was not the correct black sedan. Ronald later changed
6:41
Speaker 1: his statement, saying that he just assumed that the shooter
6:45
Speaker 1: got into the black sedan, which left Aaron Jones still
6:47
Speaker 1: in suspicion of being connected to the shooter and right
6:50
Speaker 1: for police coercion. As the investigation continued, the statements from
6:55
Speaker 1: Aaron Jones, Ronald Moore, and Dexter Saffold all shifted each
6:58
Speaker 1: time they spoke, leaving only one witness whose story remained consistent.
7:03
Speaker 2: The gas station attendant. His name was Jody Tony, and
7:05
Speaker 2: so right away when the police came, they talked to
7:08
Speaker 2: him and he said, I saw this happen. I know
7:11
Speaker 2: who was the shooter because he was in the gas
7:13
Speaker 2: station an hour before this happened and he was threatening
7:16
Speaker 2: me and threatening to blow my head off. So I
7:19
Speaker 2: saw him when he did this, and you know, I
7:21
Speaker 2: could identify him.
7:23
Speaker 1: Jody Tony was later called in to view a lineup.
7:25
Speaker 1: In the meantime, investigators followed up with Dexter Saffold, who
7:28
Speaker 1: had called nine to one one.
7:30
Speaker 2: So he witnesses a shooting, allegedly doesn't stick around back
7:34
Speaker 2: at his apartment. They go to talk to him. He's
7:36
Speaker 2: what they call an independent witness, so he's not tied
7:39
Speaker 2: to any one. It's not like the brother, it's not
7:41
Speaker 2: like someone who would have, you know, some kind of
7:43
Speaker 2: motivation potentially to lie.
7:45
Speaker 1: Strangely, Saffold made claims that are not supported by the
7:48
Speaker 1: surveillance footage, and his statements changed along the way.
7:52
Speaker 2: And changed in important ways, including what the perpetrator was wearing.
7:55
Speaker 2: He described the perpetrator's wearing a black shirt, all this stuff.
7:59
Speaker 2: In the video you can see he's wearing like a
8:01
Speaker 2: gray tank top or a light colored tank top. What
8:04
Speaker 2: has hair looked like.
8:06
Speaker 1: Saffold said that the shooter had his hair and twists,
8:08
Speaker 1: meaning braids or dreads, which conflicts with Ronald Moore, who
8:12
Speaker 1: said the shooter had worn a mohawk.
8:14
Speaker 2: And one of the things about Dexter Saffold that the
8:17
Speaker 2: video showed was that he claimed he was eighteen feet away,
8:21
Speaker 2: but he was actually eighty feet away, and you can
8:24
Speaker 2: see that because at some point right after the shooting happens,
8:27
Speaker 2: you can see his scooter in the top of one
8:30
Speaker 2: of the frames.
8:31
Speaker 1: Saffold pulled into frame a full minute after the shooter
8:34
Speaker 1: left the scene. So it's not clear what he saw,
8:37
Speaker 1: if anything, including that the shooter ran right by him
8:40
Speaker 1: while chasing the victim behind the station, which was contradicted
8:43
Speaker 1: by the surveillance footage. And somehow there's room for Saffold
8:47
Speaker 1: to become even more absurd, but we'll get to that later.
8:50
Speaker 1: What's interesting is that even though Ronald Moore and Dexter
8:53
Speaker 1: Saffold disagreed on the hair mohawk versus twists and then
8:58
Speaker 1: later a low haircut, they agreed on the hype.
9:01
Speaker 3: A discription of the shoot was fast seven.
9:05
Speaker 1: And does that describe you in any way?
9:07
Speaker 3: No, at the time I was six'. TWO i never
9:10
Speaker 3: had had a low. Heacut they don't scrab me it.
9:13
Speaker 1: Out then the investigation received one more lead.
9:17
Speaker 2: From the police. REPORTS a couple of people who were
9:20
Speaker 2: close with the Victim. Roundell his girlfriend and one of
9:25
Speaker 2: his friends both said that he had been shot at
9:28
Speaker 2: a couple days prior by some people from The East
9:32
Speaker 2: block set of the Gangster. Disciples so they said that
9:36
Speaker 2: the guy who had shot At, rundell that it was
9:39
Speaker 2: this Guy.
9:40
Speaker 1: Dony, coincidentally Both dooney and one of his known, associates
9:44
Speaker 1: a guy Nicknamed, slim had appeared in a rap video
9:46
Speaker 1: With darien Aka.
9:48
Speaker 3: Kingchucky you know how did music and shot music, Video
9:52
Speaker 3: so you KNOW i was around these people or.
9:54
Speaker 2: Whatever the brother of the, victim he brings this rap
9:57
Speaker 2: video to the police and said someone said the shooter
10:00
Speaker 2: was in. Here and then ends up pointing Out.
10:03
Speaker 1: Darien it appears this information made its way To Aaron jones.
10:08
Speaker 2: He's being interrogated for. Murder they get him to say
10:11
Speaker 2: that it was someone Named slim at. First the next
10:14
Speaker 2: day that changes to someone Named, chucky.
10:16
Speaker 3: And then Again Aaron jones originally, said we looked just
10:20
Speaker 3: like literally like when they showed a music video we used.
10:22
Speaker 3: TO i, said he, like do it look just LIKE i.
10:26
Speaker 2: Don't know if there was some confusion from the outset
10:30
Speaker 2: as to who it was because they were both in this,
10:33
Speaker 2: video or it was just Because darien was in a
10:36
Speaker 2: video with some guys That rundell was feuding. WITH i don't.
10:39
Speaker 1: Know perhaps they're similar looking, faces Had ronald. Confused after,
10:44
Speaker 1: all there was this huge height, discrepancy and either, way
10:48
Speaker 1: the investigators chose to ignore The doony And slim lead
10:51
Speaker 1: to focus singularly On, darien who had no record and
10:55
Speaker 1: therefore no photos in the. System so they pulled pictures
10:58
Speaker 1: from social media and Got Aaron jones to Identify darien
11:02
Speaker 1: as the man who had flagged him down for a
11:05
Speaker 1: ride to the gas, station which was enough for the rest.
11:08
Speaker 3: Warrant they came to a mom crib, like hey were
11:11
Speaker 3: looking for your. Son he's been implicated in the. Murder
11:14
Speaker 3: and she called me, like what did you?
11:15
Speaker 4: Do did you do?
11:15
Speaker 3: Anything i'm, LIKE i ain't doing. Nothing she was, like,
11:18
Speaker 3: well let's they want to talk to, Him, like, okay
11:20
Speaker 3: let's go talk. Home got nothing to, had AND i
11:22
Speaker 3: got me a lawyer AND i went down there and
11:24
Speaker 3: they tried to talk to me AND i told HIM
11:26
Speaker 3: i have none to say BECAUSE i don't know, nothing
11:28
Speaker 3: and y'all nothing to create something off of what me,
11:31
Speaker 3: saying so THEREFORE i have nothing to. Say i'm with
11:33
Speaker 3: my lawyer and.
11:34
Speaker 1: You're doing exactly. WELL i think any good lawyer would
11:36
Speaker 1: recommend that they do people do more or less what you,
11:38
Speaker 1: did which you, Say i'm not talking AND i want a.
11:41
Speaker 3: Lawyer she came down there and she was, like don't say,
11:44
Speaker 3: nothing and they ain't want to talk to me BECAUSE
11:47
Speaker 3: i ain't want to talk to. Them and then she,
11:48
Speaker 3: left and then they tried to bring me and put
11:50
Speaker 3: me in a, lineup AND i was, LIKE i don't
11:51
Speaker 3: want to go into land up without my. Lawyer they was,
11:53
Speaker 3: like you have to go on the line, up AND
11:55
Speaker 3: i went in like three full lineups AND i remember
11:58
Speaker 3: one line, UP i was number. Three they said it
12:00
Speaker 3: was number five and then never came, up and they
12:03
Speaker 3: put me in to Suggest. Atlanta i'm In. Atlanta i'm
12:06
Speaker 3: the only person as young with no facial everybody else
12:10
Speaker 3: older than me and. Everything so it's it's like if
12:12
Speaker 3: y'all giving a description of, something look he's right.
12:15
Speaker 1: Here so with his own potential murder Charges Aaron jones,
12:20
Speaker 1: AGAIN i D darien and then they dragged in the
12:23
Speaker 1: gas station Attended Jody.
12:25
Speaker 2: Tony when they brought into the, station they showed him
12:28
Speaker 2: a picture Of darien and, said you, know this is
12:31
Speaker 2: the guy we have as a, shooter and he said
12:32
Speaker 2: that is not the. Shooter they had him look at the.
12:34
Speaker 2: Lineup he did not pick out dary and he said
12:36
Speaker 2: the shooter is not in that, lineup and they tried
12:38
Speaker 2: to get him to Identify dariy and he said he
12:40
Speaker 2: wouldn't do, it and they tried to pressure him and
12:43
Speaker 2: all of, that and he wouldn't do. It he was
12:44
Speaker 2: never called a, trial so we later got an affidavit
12:47
Speaker 2: from him where he identifies who the actual shooter.
12:50
Speaker 1: Was but that was many years. Later for, Now Jody
12:53
Speaker 1: tony was ignored For Dexter saffold and the victim's, Brother Ronald.
12:57
Speaker 1: Moore despite saffolds dubious, accounts the police valued his id
13:02
Speaker 1: and Then. Ronald why would the brother of the victim
13:06
Speaker 1: id someone that doesn't match his own initial description both
13:11
Speaker 1: height and.
13:11
Speaker 3: Hair sometimes in the streets like guys or rather lead
13:17
Speaker 3: other guys out.
13:17
Speaker 2: There we've had that in several cases where when we
13:21
Speaker 2: find out why they implicated the wrong, person it was
13:24
Speaker 2: because they wanted to take care of it.
13:26
Speaker 3: Themselves he put me in a situation because you feel,
13:29
Speaker 3: like ba't me not doing? It they would have let me.
13:30
Speaker 3: Go but that's not how the system works. Here once
13:33
Speaker 3: they get any type of, name they don't care to
13:36
Speaker 3: do their job to make sure the case is. Closed
13:39
Speaker 3: they just make up create things to get you out the.
13:41
Speaker 3: Way and that's why so many guys that's wrongfully. Convicted
13:44
Speaker 3: it's in the conserrated right now because police don't do
13:47
Speaker 3: their job and the state's attorney don't, care and they get.
13:50
Speaker 3: Immunity so you think they care if they create a
13:53
Speaker 3: situation just to make somebody go to jail just to
13:56
Speaker 3: close their, case they.
13:58
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14:28
Speaker 3: YEAH i was in the police station for about two.
14:30
Speaker 3: Days THEN i was taken To Cook county and. Process
14:33
Speaker 3: THEN i wasn't prepared for, it but in a WAY
14:35
Speaker 3: i had a little bit of street smarts because you
14:37
Speaker 3: know that's WHERE i come. From you, know this is my,
14:39
Speaker 3: neighborhood is how to grow. Up but the gym's around
14:42
Speaker 3: about real grown men fighting real murders, Too and they
14:46
Speaker 3: got knaves and they game banging and gang fights go,
14:50
Speaker 3: on drug dealing going, on and rapees going. On so
14:54
Speaker 3: you have to learn to adapt to your surroundings situation
14:57
Speaker 3: of what's going. On or get, loss you get, cute
15:01
Speaker 3: you get, rip you get beat, up you get. Extoreded
15:04
Speaker 3: and that's How jill.
15:05
Speaker 1: Is sounds like hell On. Earth and so there you.
15:09
Speaker 1: Are what did they set? Bail you never saw the streets.
15:12
Speaker 3: Again they didnam on bonn and SAID i was a minister,
15:14
Speaker 3: SOCIETY i shouldn't be let out on the. Streets AND
15:17
Speaker 3: i never called a case of damn my. LIFE i
15:19
Speaker 3: bet you've been. ARRESTED i was encountered three years three.
15:23
Speaker 1: Years jesus Christ darien was charged with aggravated battery with a,
15:28
Speaker 1: firearm attempted, murder and first degree, murder and at the grand, Jury, Jones,
15:33
Speaker 1: moore And saffoled reaffirmed their. Identifications but Now ronald said
15:38
Speaker 1: that he Saw jones Drop darien off at the gas
15:40
Speaker 1: station and then, leave so a new. Inconsistency and then
15:44
Speaker 1: he said that he Recognized darien from this rap, video
15:47
Speaker 1: even though we know that he hadn't seen that video
15:50
Speaker 1: until after the.
15:51
Speaker 2: Shooting there were a ton of issues with his. Identification
15:56
Speaker 2: he initially accused someone, else and then he also was
15:59
Speaker 2: in the backseat of his car and claimed the shooter
16:01
Speaker 2: pointed the gun at, him but the video shows that
16:03
Speaker 2: the shooter didn't point the gun at, Him so there
16:05
Speaker 2: are a ton of issues with him and with his,
16:07
Speaker 2: testimony the brothers' statements and dexter saffold, statements those changed
16:14
Speaker 2: every time they told what.
16:16
Speaker 1: Happened this, Time saffold said that he had chased after
16:19
Speaker 1: the shooter on his, scooter which is not supported by the.
16:22
Speaker 1: Video but, Importantly saffold explained why he wrote a scooter
16:26
Speaker 1: that his diabetes had caused a, stroke and we'll get
16:29
Speaker 1: to why that's important. Later At darrin's bench trial in
16:32
Speaker 1: front Of Judge Nicholas, ford.
16:34
Speaker 2: This judge is notorious in the, end was run off
16:38
Speaker 2: the bench In Cook county because of his actions in
16:41
Speaker 2: a lot of, cases and then he ended up A
16:44
Speaker 2: trump appointee an immigration judge In california and was run
16:49
Speaker 2: off the bench there for being, racist, ableist. Etc and
16:56
Speaker 2: so he's currently not a, judge but he has a
17:00
Speaker 2: long history of problems with his judicial.
17:04
Speaker 1: Conduct darien's bench trou began In march of twenty. Fourteen
17:09
Speaker 1: Again Ronald moore testified about Seeing jones Drop darien off
17:13
Speaker 1: and leave that he Recognized darien from the rap, video
17:17
Speaker 1: and then he made an in court. Identification next up
17:20
Speaker 1: Was Aaron, jones but that didn't go as a prosecution had.
17:23
Speaker 2: Planned he starts testifying and then he immediately recants and he,
17:26
Speaker 2: says you know, what, man fuck. This none of this.
17:28
Speaker 2: Happened the police made me say, This they threatened. Me
17:32
Speaker 2: what would you. DO i had a newborn. Baby darien
17:35
Speaker 2: was never in my. Car this never. Happened and the judge,
17:39
Speaker 2: Says i'm holding you in direct contempt just because he's,
17:42
Speaker 2: recanting maybe because he's. CURSING i don't. Know the state
17:46
Speaker 2: had not asked him to Hold Aaron jones in. Contempt
17:49
Speaker 2: But Aaron jones, says do whatever you need to do to, me,
17:52
Speaker 2: MAN i don't care. Anymore this is. Wrong so that
17:56
Speaker 2: basically ends the state's questioning of.
17:58
Speaker 1: Him during the crossing, examination Mister jones, elaborated saying that
18:02
Speaker 1: the police had told him what to say or he
18:04
Speaker 1: would quote rot in prison for the rest of his.
18:07
Speaker 1: Life jes said that the police showed him your photograph
18:11
Speaker 1: there and told him to pick you as the, gunman
18:14
Speaker 1: of Course. Jones the detective then testifies that he interviewed
18:18
Speaker 1: them multiple times and never threatened. Them but what we
18:20
Speaker 1: expect you.
18:21
Speaker 3: Have Aaron, Jones they, said the police, Officer Devin jones
18:25
Speaker 3: can hurst him to say what he. Said you have
18:28
Speaker 3: the add witness from the gas, Station Jody. Tunya they
18:30
Speaker 3: said That Devin jones can hurst him to say what he.
18:32
Speaker 3: Said you got the victim's. Brother this original statement did
18:36
Speaker 3: the shooter was fast seven and all, That but he
18:38
Speaker 3: changed the statement once he talked to Detective Devin. Jones
18:41
Speaker 3: so you have to say alficer basically conhurst him into
18:45
Speaker 3: what to say with this overlooked.
18:47
Speaker 1: Though then the state put On Dexter, saffold who appears
18:50
Speaker 1: to be a willing participant in story time With Detective Devin.
18:54
Speaker 1: Jones but that's even worse than.
18:58
Speaker 2: That as he's, testifying the defense council asks him about
19:02
Speaker 2: his vision because he's diabetic and there are often vision
19:07
Speaker 2: issues with, that and he starts looking at the state
19:09
Speaker 2: and this is all on the, record it's in the,
19:11
Speaker 2: transcripts and the defense council says to the, judge can
19:15
Speaker 2: you order him to? Answer he keeps looking at the
19:17
Speaker 2: state and the Witness dexter, SAYS i thought that medical
19:20
Speaker 2: was supposed to be. Private the judge, said, well usually it,
19:22
Speaker 2: is but your ability to see is critical to the,
19:24
Speaker 2: case so you have to. Answer and he says he
19:26
Speaker 2: doesn't have any vision. Issues and that's where the case really,
19:30
Speaker 2: unraveled because on post conviction is discovered that he at
19:34
Speaker 2: the time was permanently and legally.
19:37
Speaker 3: Blind at the state's ATTORNEY, knwda this person was legally.
19:39
Speaker 3: Bland so he, SAID i thought my medical was. Private
19:42
Speaker 3: how did he know that his medical was? PRIVATE i
19:44
Speaker 3: mean he told him, that.
19:45
Speaker 1: But neither the defense nor the judge knew, that as
19:48
Speaker 1: was made abundantly clear By Judge ford's closing statement as
19:52
Speaker 1: he Sentenced darien to seventy six, years.
19:56
Speaker 3: He said aloud that he don't believe nobody. Else he's
19:59
Speaker 3: based in this fan based on the old. Man that's
20:02
Speaker 3: your sulf of. Testimony you have an old man that seems,
20:06
Speaker 3: credible that seems, honest like he, said and he don't
20:10
Speaker 3: have nothing to rebut what he's. Saying and at the
20:13
Speaker 3: time the judge didn't know that he was legally. Blind
20:17
Speaker 3: he went on record to say that he trust this,
20:19
Speaker 3: person and y'all knew this person was legally. Blind y'all
20:22
Speaker 3: made him look like an. Asshole and my out day
20:27
Speaker 3: was twenty eighty. Two and it's like that's a hard
20:29
Speaker 3: pill to. Swallow it's, Like, Wow i'm really sentenced to
20:32
Speaker 3: seventy six years for a CRIME i didn't. Commit you
20:51
Speaker 3: hear so much about, Prison LIKE i was. PARANOID i
20:54
Speaker 3: was going through so much Because i'm, like, only first of,
20:56
Speaker 3: all they're supposed to be in. Here the second of,
20:58
Speaker 3: all these are a liver. Dish is LIKE i understand
21:01
Speaker 3: That i'm convicted of a crime at the end of damn.
21:03
Speaker 3: Human this is not how you should treat. Humans they
21:06
Speaker 3: send me the. PONTIAC i was a pontiac for three.
21:08
Speaker 3: Months that's what mentally a lot of, people they ain't
21:11
Speaker 3: never coming. Back that's.
21:12
Speaker 4: What like.
21:13
Speaker 3: Gas they cut their stomach up and rip their tests.
21:16
Speaker 3: Out they stick chicken bones and they dick hole and
21:19
Speaker 3: try to piss and their stomach blow. Up they be
21:22
Speaker 3: on the, yard they play with, Feces they put feces
21:24
Speaker 3: in their mouth shit and they mouth and spit it
21:27
Speaker 3: on each. Other they go outside with a plastic bag
21:29
Speaker 3: full of shit and be squirting it back and forth
21:32
Speaker 3: on each other like it's wow down, there like it
21:35
Speaker 3: be men having sex on the, yard like it's wow down.
21:38
Speaker 1: There it's hard to fathom that this shit goes on
21:41
Speaker 1: in this, country but it's going on right. Now it's
21:43
Speaker 1: really sickening the whole freaking. Thing SO i don't know
21:47
Speaker 1: how the hell you managed to maintain your, sanity But
21:49
Speaker 1: i'm glad you. Did and NOW i want to hear
21:51
Speaker 1: about how the hell you manage to find a way,
21:54
Speaker 1: out because that's the, miracle. RIGHT i, mean we never
21:57
Speaker 1: hear about the guys who lost their minds in, there
22:00
Speaker 1: who gave, Up, oh who did drugs or killed themselves
22:03
Speaker 1: or got. Killed, right there's a lot of innocent guys
22:06
Speaker 1: that fit that. Category but then there's guys like you
22:09
Speaker 1: who somehow or other found the strength to reach.
22:12
Speaker 2: Out.
22:13
Speaker 3: WELL i had a mentor Of his name Is Samuel,
22:15
Speaker 3: kareem and he had life in. Jail so coming into
22:19
Speaker 3: that sale with, him you, KNOW i know he was
22:21
Speaker 3: real good with the. LOSS i gave him my paperwork
22:23
Speaker 3: and he started reading and he only read like the
22:25
Speaker 3: first sixty. Pages was, LIKE i don't have to read
22:27
Speaker 3: it no. More and say why he, said because that's
22:30
Speaker 3: your way out of. Jail. Man that man led he can't.
22:32
Speaker 3: See i'm, like how do you know? That he, said
22:34
Speaker 3: Because i'm a. Diabetic he landed back the ability to.
22:36
Speaker 3: See that's why he was. Stuttering i'm, LIKE i don't
22:39
Speaker 3: know what you're telling me about, whatever AND i blew it.
22:41
Speaker 3: Off and then AFTERWARDS i asked him, like, hey you
22:44
Speaker 3: gonna read LIKE i don't have to read no. More
22:46
Speaker 3: So i'm, like all, right, whatever We i'm gonna let
22:47
Speaker 3: my lawyer take care of. It, then and that's when
22:49
Speaker 3: he started giving me cases AND i. DIDN'T i read,
22:52
Speaker 3: them BUT i didn't comprehend WHAT i was. Reading so
22:55
Speaker 3: that's when he went to his, Mentor Michael sullivan told, him, like,
22:59
Speaker 3: man you got to teach him how to be a man,
23:01
Speaker 3: first because he won't comprehend what he reading until you
23:04
Speaker 3: teach him a different way of. Life so therefore he
23:07
Speaker 3: doubled back and we start having long, conversations and that's
23:10
Speaker 3: when he started teaching me how to be a. Man
23:12
Speaker 3: he started teaching me about, responsibilities, economics, politics financial, stability emotional,
23:18
Speaker 3: stability mental, stability ways of, life the worth of a,
23:23
Speaker 3: woman everything THAT i need to succeed in life as a,
23:26
Speaker 3: man to grow and also to found my purpose in
23:29
Speaker 3: life as, well and that's WHERE i started. At then
23:32
Speaker 3: that's WHEN i doubled back on the legal, work and
23:34
Speaker 3: he gave me A Black Au dictionary AND i started
23:37
Speaker 3: reading legal, work and his way of teaching me was
23:39
Speaker 3: comparing it to real life, situations and that's HOW i started.
23:42
Speaker 3: Understanding so he made me order my, discovery and they
23:45
Speaker 3: gave him my discovery redacted because they can't give it
23:48
Speaker 3: to me. Unredacted AND i sat there AND i went
23:51
Speaker 3: through every piece of paperwork And that's WHEN i found
23:54
Speaker 3: the gas station, Attendant Jody. TONY i found a lot
23:57
Speaker 3: of more, things and that's WHEN i started writing a
23:59
Speaker 3: lot of. Lawyers And Jody garvey.
24:01
Speaker 2: Wrote me back AND i Believe, darien you told you
24:04
Speaker 2: were A pellet. Lawyer What samuel said That Dexter staffold was.
24:08
Speaker 3: Blind my new, Lawyer Jody, garvey went To Deshah staffold and,
24:12
Speaker 3: say pointed out right now In, atlanta up with the private.
24:14
Speaker 3: Vestigat he, SAID i CAN'T i need a special apparatus
24:16
Speaker 3: that magnifies the image on the. Paper that means that
24:19
Speaker 3: in the police station they had to give you a special,
24:22
Speaker 3: apparatus or they circled and told you what to. Say at,
24:26
Speaker 3: trial you, know they give you the paper and they
24:28
Speaker 3: say do you recognize his? Paper he post a look
24:30
Speaker 3: at the paper and say, yes is that your? Signature?
24:32
Speaker 3: Yes is that what you? Wrote repeat what you? Wrote
24:35
Speaker 3: which number pigeons to circle? Out how did he do
24:37
Speaker 3: all that in court with no special? Apparatus that shows
24:40
Speaker 3: you that he was conhearsed in the back on what to.
24:42
Speaker 1: Say but Despite Dexter saffold's blindness as well As Jody,
24:46
Speaker 1: Tony darien's conviction was affirmed on. Appeal Then darien Met
24:50
Speaker 1: lauren around twenty, nineteen who was able to find more new,
24:53
Speaker 1: evidence starting With Dexter saffold's litigation.
24:56
Speaker 2: History Dexter staffold had filed so many discrimination lawsuits basically
25:02
Speaker 2: alleging that different, organizations, colleges, whatever had discriminated against him
25:08
Speaker 2: because of being. Blind so he had attached to these
25:13
Speaker 2: lawsuits his own vision, records medical records related to his
25:17
Speaker 2: blindness over the. SPAN i mean he was filing these
25:21
Speaker 2: starting back in like two thousand and two till twenty
25:23
Speaker 2: twenty one maybe, after and attaching all this stuff to
25:27
Speaker 2: prove he was. Blind so that's where we got the
25:30
Speaker 2: evidence that he was. Blind it was from his own.
25:32
Speaker 1: Filings In february twenty twenty, Two lauren And Jody garvey
25:36
Speaker 1: filed a post conviction petition to Vacate darien's, conviction and
25:39
Speaker 1: they attached a report from an ophthalmologist and professor Doctor Vina,
25:44
Speaker 1: raigi who determined That saffold had advanced glaucoma by twenty
25:49
Speaker 1: eleven and had less than five degrees of central vision
25:54
Speaker 1: in both eyes and in addition to his legal, blindness
25:57
Speaker 1: the time of day that this shooting occurred Made saffold
26:01
Speaker 1: even less.
26:02
Speaker 2: Reliable Jody garby had already gotten Some affi davids from
26:06
Speaker 2: an investigator had talked To Dexter, saffold and he told
26:10
Speaker 2: the investigator that he had told the prosecution about his vision.
26:13
Speaker 1: Issues so it appears the prosecution knowingly put on a blind,
26:18
Speaker 1: eyewitness and then when he purjured himself about his ability to,
26:21
Speaker 1: see they did not bother to correct the. Record lauren
26:25
Speaker 1: also sought the help of doctor And Nancy.
26:27
Speaker 2: Franklin an eyewitness, expert to show all of the. Issues
26:31
Speaker 2: any sort of police coergion what made any sort of
26:34
Speaker 2: identification in this case unreliable from the get, go regardless of,
26:39
Speaker 2: blindness although that obviously played a big. Role, Also Jody
26:42
Speaker 2: garby had already gotten some halfi davids From darien's girlfriend
26:46
Speaker 2: at the, time who was his alibi, witness confirming that
26:49
Speaker 2: he was at home watching THE nba, Finals affi davits
26:53
Speaker 2: From Jody, tony LIKE i, said he was confirming that
26:56
Speaker 2: it Wasn't, darien and he identified the actual.
26:58
Speaker 1: Shooter, tony the gas station, attendant the only eyewitness whose
27:02
Speaker 1: statements didn't shift with the police narrative said that the
27:05
Speaker 1: shooter had come into the station before the shooting and threatened,
27:09
Speaker 1: him and he identified him from a. Photo it was
27:11
Speaker 1: a young man Named Devonte pippen Aka, slim who not
27:15
Speaker 1: only appeared in the rap video but was also later
27:18
Speaker 1: a victim of gang violence in twenty.
27:20
Speaker 2: Fourteen so we had all this, evidence it was already
27:23
Speaker 2: such a thin. Case no physical evidence ever Tied darien
27:26
Speaker 2: to the. Crime the description just didn't even. Match the
27:29
Speaker 2: judge didn't hear From Jody, tony who had always said
27:33
Speaker 2: he could see it and he knew who did, it
27:35
Speaker 2: and it always said it Wasn't. Darien so all of
27:38
Speaker 2: this just really put it over the. Edge so this
27:42
Speaker 2: Is december, fifth twenty twenty. Three we go to court
27:46
Speaker 2: and they agree to Vkate darien's conviction based on all
27:49
Speaker 2: the evidence presented in the post conviction. Petition but they're
27:53
Speaker 2: going to retry him and they want him held without bond.
27:56
Speaker 2: Again what they were going to retry him with is beyond.
27:59
Speaker 2: ME i don't know what their plan. Was they never
28:02
Speaker 2: told me if they were planning to call the blind
28:05
Speaker 2: eyewitness again or what the plan was. There but that's
28:08
Speaker 2: When jason that's when you got.
28:10
Speaker 1: Involved because, WELL i feel very grateful THAT i was
28:14
Speaker 1: in the right place at the right, time and THAT i,
28:16
Speaker 1: have you, know a real lasting friendship With Kim, fox
28:21
Speaker 1: who's been doing her level best against powerful forces that
28:24
Speaker 1: are lined against. Her and you, know her job is no,
28:28
Speaker 1: picnic trust, me but you, know it happens that she's
28:32
Speaker 1: got such a big, office so many you, know adas
28:35
Speaker 1: and others working for, her that sometimes one of them
28:38
Speaker 1: just you, know probably many of them don't share her
28:40
Speaker 1: vision or her. Convictions for lack of a better. Word of,
28:44
Speaker 1: course When kim heard about this, case she did the right.
28:49
Speaker 2: THING i get a, CALL i, think the very next
28:51
Speaker 2: day saying that they are not going to move forward
28:55
Speaker 2: with the, case and they were very apologetic about. It
28:59
Speaker 2: we were already doing up in Court december, nineteenth twenty twenty,
29:02
Speaker 2: three to argue some bond.
29:04
Speaker 3: Issues WHEN i came to, court NOW i was thinking
29:08
Speaker 3: it's a regular court. Day lauren came up like so
29:11
Speaker 3: they had the good, news AND i was, like, yeah
29:13
Speaker 3: what they gonna give me a bond or. Something she was, like,
29:15
Speaker 3: No they're gonna throw everything. Else AND i was, like
29:18
Speaker 3: LIKE i was, Shocked LIKE i ain't even believe, it
29:20
Speaker 3: AND i was just, like, WOW i really didn't feel
29:23
Speaker 3: real at.
29:23
Speaker 2: All you, Know darien has been out just a few
29:28
Speaker 2: months now and is you, know trying to rebuild his
29:32
Speaker 2: life and put everything back together after so many years.
29:37
Speaker 2: Gone and you, Know i'm he can talk about. IT i,
29:40
Speaker 2: mean it's a struggle for all of our clients to do.
29:42
Speaker 2: That so we're just trying to do what we can
29:44
Speaker 2: to help him with. That we filed for a certificate of,
29:46
Speaker 2: innocence so we'll keep you posted on that on our.
29:49
Speaker 2: End but you, know he's working through.
29:52
Speaker 3: Everything when you've been going so, long you've been removed from,
29:56
Speaker 3: society you've been moved from the world that you once.
29:59
Speaker 3: Knew me coming home, Personally i'm in a whole new
30:02
Speaker 3: world for me to be. Free it don't feel Like
30:04
Speaker 3: i'm free because mentally it's hard for me to understand
30:09
Speaker 3: and adapt to what's going. On BECAUSE i got out
30:12
Speaker 3: of jail with, nothing AND i had slight a little small, donations,
30:15
Speaker 3: yeah from the company That lauren put me into it
30:19
Speaker 3: where they gave me two thousand dollars and things like.
30:21
Speaker 3: That you, know that's, cool that's, Helpful but WHERE i
30:25
Speaker 3: was at in maximum. PENITENTIARIES i couldn't take no trades for, electrician,
30:29
Speaker 3: plumbing ac, construction. Nothing so what DO i come home.
30:33
Speaker 3: WITH i can't come home with no, degrees no school
30:36
Speaker 3: out of. Nothing so the only things THAT i know
30:39
Speaker 3: is the things THAT i took the time after studying those.
30:41
Speaker 3: Books that's the only things THAT i. Know but it
30:43
Speaker 3: takes money to make that type of. Money and they
30:46
Speaker 3: put us in these situations hoping that we do. Reoffend
30:49
Speaker 3: that's why they put us out here like. This why
30:51
Speaker 3: not put us out and, say, hey we got jobs
30:53
Speaker 3: waiting on, y'all good, jobs not no twelve thirteen dollars
30:57
Speaker 3: an hour, job because as a grown, man especially with,
31:00
Speaker 3: kids what is that going to? Pay we need real,
31:03
Speaker 3: jobs we need real, help and we don't have that
31:07
Speaker 3: to preaching.
31:07
Speaker 1: Today i'll tell you that, much and and we appreciate.
31:10
Speaker 1: It we need to hear this. Stuff and what's the name?
31:12
Speaker 1: Again this is a real hero in this. Case another
31:15
Speaker 1: one is your mentor what was his name?
31:17
Speaker 3: Again his name Is Samuel kareem KA R I. M
31:21
Speaker 3: he's currently located In Stateville Correctional. Center and, honestly that's
31:26
Speaker 3: the guy that changed me that's the guy That i'm
31:28
Speaker 3: fighting to get out of jail because he's the smartest
31:31
Speaker 3: MAN i ever. Met he has a training out of
31:33
Speaker 3: mask all day every, day he read his, books study case.
31:37
Speaker 3: Law he grows man so. Much just the type of
31:39
Speaker 3: man that we need out here in these communities to
31:42
Speaker 3: start changing, things to start creating opportunities not only for,
31:45
Speaker 3: us but for everybody as a, whole where we come
31:47
Speaker 3: together as. One that's what we lack coming. Up we
31:50
Speaker 3: lack role, models we lack positive man in our life
31:52
Speaker 3: and things like.
31:53
Speaker 1: That darren asked that we win in competition for clemency
31:57
Speaker 1: for his, Mentor Samuel, Kareem so we're going to have
32:00
Speaker 1: that length in the episode. Description and in addition to his,
32:03
Speaker 1: Advocacy darien is making, music also starting a nonprofit and
32:08
Speaker 1: launching a, Podcast justice Is.
32:11
Speaker 3: Blind it's a podcast for me to give a platform
32:14
Speaker 3: to everybody that's incoscerated all over the world to call
32:17
Speaker 3: in and tell their, story rather they was wrongfully, convicted
32:20
Speaker 3: or the trauma that they're going through a jail all
32:22
Speaker 3: the way the police treating, them or they just want
32:24
Speaker 3: to be heard because in, jail with our silence and
32:27
Speaker 3: don't nobody listen to. Us don't nobody give us a.
32:29
Speaker 3: Chance everybody look at us as, criminals but everybody in
32:32
Speaker 3: jail not bad. People people could. CHANGE a sin is a,
32:35
Speaker 3: sining a crime is a. Crime people may have committed
32:37
Speaker 3: their crimes and people may have done their, things but
32:40
Speaker 3: at the end of the, day they're, human they make.
32:42
Speaker 3: Mistakes give them a chance to write they. Wrong so
32:44
Speaker 3: that's When i'm creating this platform for, them guys in
32:47
Speaker 3: jail to speak out and to have a. Voice and
32:49
Speaker 3: Also i'm starting um For Perfect Call surviving a struggle
32:52
Speaker 3: for guys that's incarcerated as. Well the partner or with
32:55
Speaker 3: the law firm and everybody that's wrongfully CONVICTED i had
32:59
Speaker 3: their case, over would look to have their case tooking
33:01
Speaker 3: so they can have legal. Support and Also i'm going
33:04
Speaker 3: to create programs link up with people to have, construction, electrician,
33:10
Speaker 3: plumbing everything of that, nature so when guys get out
33:13
Speaker 3: of jail they have a good job to come home.
33:15
Speaker 3: Too and trying to find a way to find them
33:18
Speaker 3: like affordable has look at like a house of complex
33:20
Speaker 3: or something for a guys to state that don't have
33:22
Speaker 3: nowhere to. Go everything is currently in the making right
33:25
Speaker 3: now should be done within the next few, months but
33:28
Speaker 3: you can follow me On instagram at k at n
33:31
Speaker 3: g c ch U Cky underscore FR e D A
33:37
Speaker 3: r E A. L AND i have a go fundme
33:40
Speaker 3: which is Called justice Is, blind or you just put
33:44
Speaker 3: In Dariel harriy's and support me and my calls to
33:47
Speaker 3: just help me out with living expenses and for the
33:50
Speaker 3: non for.
33:50
Speaker 1: Profit, well we're gonna link Your instagram and the GoFundMe as,
33:54
Speaker 1: well and with that we're gonna go to my favorite
33:57
Speaker 1: part of the show where first of, ALL i think
34:00
Speaker 1: both of, You lauren And, darien you're both heroes to
34:04
Speaker 1: me and so many other, people and SO i appreciate
34:06
Speaker 1: you joining us here. Today and Now i'm just going
34:08
Speaker 1: to kick back in my chair with my microphone off
34:11
Speaker 1: and just listen to anything else you feel is left
34:14
Speaker 1: to be. Said So, lauren tradition holes that you go,
34:17
Speaker 1: first And darien you take us off into the.
34:20
Speaker 2: SUNSET i just hope that people listen to this episode
34:23
Speaker 2: and they take away from the fact that this kind
34:26
Speaker 2: of thing can really happen to. Anyone darien had never
34:29
Speaker 2: committed a, Crime he had never been, arrested he was
34:31
Speaker 2: a good. Kid the only thing was where he. LIVED i,
34:35
Speaker 2: mean he got picked up just by virtue of living
34:38
Speaker 2: in a certain, neighborhood being a certain, color and the
34:42
Speaker 2: evidence was made to fit. Him and he had a
34:45
Speaker 2: really bright future in front of him that was stolen from,
34:48
Speaker 2: him and he lost out on so much time that
34:51
Speaker 2: he is never going to get back in very very formative.
34:54
Speaker 2: Years we are actually very lucky in his, case which
34:58
Speaker 2: is crazy to say that we were able to get
35:00
Speaker 2: him out when he can still build a life and
35:04
Speaker 2: build a. Family And darien WANTS i think last count
35:07
Speaker 2: sixteen kids. Crazy he wants a lot of. Children we'll
35:10
Speaker 2: see after he has one how he feels about. That
35:13
Speaker 2: but he'll be a wonderful. Dad he has so many
35:15
Speaker 2: things he wants to do to change the, world and
35:17
Speaker 2: he's already starting to do. It And i'm just so
35:20
Speaker 2: proud to know him and i can't wait to see
35:22
Speaker 2: all the things that he's going to. Accomplish someone with
35:26
Speaker 2: the kind of light That darien, has they can't keep
35:29
Speaker 2: that down and they can't snuff it. Out So i'm
35:31
Speaker 2: just so grateful to be here today with him and
35:35
Speaker 2: to be a witness to his.
35:37
Speaker 3: LIFE i just want to say THAT i Appreciate lauren
35:40
Speaker 3: the most because she stepped in and did everything and
35:43
Speaker 3: just still on the business for. Real And Jody, garf
35:46
Speaker 3: he helped me out a lot as. Well AND i
35:48
Speaker 3: just want to let everybody know that everything That i'm
35:52
Speaker 3: doing to help free to jails and those people that's
35:54
Speaker 3: growfully and, convicted or even the people that is serving
35:57
Speaker 3: a town doing this for the black families and the
36:00
Speaker 3: mothers that have to go through this because they are
36:02
Speaker 3: incarcerated as. Well you, know they're not the only people that's.
36:05
Speaker 3: Concerated AND i understand what it means to be in
36:08
Speaker 3: jail and be. Stereotypes so IF i can get out
36:11
Speaker 3: and show them that all black people that come from
36:13
Speaker 3: jail not this and not THAT i want to become
36:16
Speaker 3: that stereotype to show them like we not that type of.
36:19
Speaker 3: People like it's people that can actually. Change it's people
36:22
Speaker 3: that can come from WHERE i come from and make
36:23
Speaker 3: better themselves as well and be not all the. Same you,
36:27
Speaker 3: know it's actually good people still left in this. World
36:29
Speaker 3: i'm just looking to help. EVERYBODY i know my purpose
36:32
Speaker 3: in life is to help, People So i'm gonna follow
36:34
Speaker 3: my purpose and chase my. Dreams i'm gonna continue to
36:37
Speaker 3: help everybody and do EVERYTHING i gotta do and make
36:40
Speaker 3: a positive. Change i'm just gonna continue to stick to doing.
36:43
Speaker 1: Me thank you for listening to ron For. Conviction you
36:52
Speaker 1: can listen to this and all The lava For good
36:54
Speaker 1: podcasts one week early by subscribing To lava For Good
36:57
Speaker 1: plus On Apple. PODCASTS i want to thank our production,
37:01
Speaker 1: Team Connor hall And Kathleen, fink as well as my
37:03
Speaker 1: fellow executive Producers Jeff, Kempler Kevin, wartis And Jeff. Cliburn
37:08
Speaker 1: the music in this production was supplied by three TIME
37:10
Speaker 1: oscar nominated Composer Jay. Ralph be sure to follow us
37:13
Speaker 1: across all social media platforms At lava For good and
37:16
Speaker 1: At Wrongful. Conviction you can also follow me On instagram
37:19
Speaker 1: At It's Jason. Flamm Wrongful conviction is a production Of
37:23
Speaker 1: lava For Good podcasts and association With Signal Company number.
37:26
Speaker 4: One. Hi my name Is Amanda. Graham i've written down
37:36
Speaker 4: WHAT i want to say SO i don't start. Rambling
37:38
Speaker 4: BUT i began listening To Wrongful conviction about exactly eight year.
37:41
Speaker 4: AGO i was on a hunt for a new podcast
37:44
Speaker 4: to binge on AND i became. HOOKED i was so
37:46
Speaker 4: shocked by these. Stories the story that changed my, life,
37:49
Speaker 4: though was episode three forty eight With Zaban. Johnson at
37:53
Speaker 4: this same time that this, aired an old high school
37:56
Speaker 4: friend of mine was on her second trial for the
37:58
Speaker 4: death of an infant in her. Care from the DAY
38:00
Speaker 4: i heard she was, ARRESTED i knew in my guts
38:03
Speaker 4: no way she would hurt a, baby AND i believed
38:05
Speaker 4: there had to be some other. Explanation so suddenly things
38:09
Speaker 4: began making sense to. Me i'm actually AN, rn and
38:13
Speaker 4: SO i questioned EVERYTHING i had been taught ABOUT sbs
38:17
Speaker 4: and began plummeting into. RESEARCH i spent hours and hours and.
38:21
Speaker 4: HOURS i made a binder with highlighted, points case files
38:25
Speaker 4: with similar, details a list of ways convictions were. OVERTURNED
38:29
Speaker 4: i listened to every podcast about every CASE i could.
38:32
Speaker 4: FIND i passed on WHAT i had learned To, ali the,
38:35
Speaker 4: defendant but it was too. Late the trial had already.
38:37
Speaker 4: Began she was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced
38:41
Speaker 4: to fifty years in. Prison there is so much that
38:44
Speaker 4: is wrong in this. Case this sparked a fire in.
38:48
Speaker 4: ME i closed and sold my. BUSINESS i got a
38:51
Speaker 4: certificate In legal Nurse consulting from The university Of. GEORGIA
38:54
Speaker 4: i provided her new attorney with data and case. Information
38:58
Speaker 4: i've spoken out publicly in her, defense And i'm hoping
39:01
Speaker 4: in some way to be able to help other people
39:04
Speaker 4: who have been wrongfully convicted of murder by shaking baby
39:07
Speaker 4: syndrome and change the way these cases are. Handled your
39:11
Speaker 4: podcasting connection to this case has truly changed my. Life