Wrongful Conviction

In June 1986, Kevin Dykes witnessed the attempted murder of 2 people and the actual murder of a 3rd person in his neighborhood in Compton, CA. Kevin decided to go to the police, partly out of fear of reprisals by the killers who knew he witnessed the murder. The prosecutors then used his knowledge of the crimes that he witnessed against him and charged him with all 3 crimes.Learn more and get involved at:  https://www.change.org/free-kevin-dykes https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/with-jason-flom https://cash.app/$kevindykes0712 Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a short stint in prison, Stephen Carrington was a newlywed father, training to be an EMT and getting his life back on track. But when the police came looking for his brother at the same Brooklyn, NY address, the police mistakenly zeroed in on Stephen as the primary suspect of a felony murder at a Brooklyn lumber store. Stephen was convicted and sentence to 23 years to life.  Learn more and get involved at: https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=6802 http://www.brooklynda.org/2024/05/16/brooklyn-district-attorney-moves-to-vacate-conviction-of-brooklyn-man-who-served-23-years-for-homicide-in-case-of-mistaken-identity/ https://www.nyls.edu/faculty/adele-bernhard/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On June 14, 2007, 32-year-old Chris Vaughn was found limping on the side of the road near Joliet, IL, bleeding from two gunshot wounds. When police arrived on scene, they found the bodies of his wife and three children shot in the car. Chris is unable to recount the events of that early morning, and there are no other witnesses to the crime. Chris was subsequently convicted of 4 counts of first-degree murder. Although the state intended on imposing the death penalty, it was abolished four years after Chris’s arrest. His trial hadn’t begun, altering the state’s course of action. He is currently incarcerated and serving 4 consecutive life sentences for the killings.  Chris Vaughn’s case was covered in the hit 2021 podcast series Murder in Illinois. While Chris was interviewed extensively for that podcast, this is the first time we hear Chris Vaughn’s voice as he shares his tragic story with Jason Flom. Featuring:  Chris Vaughn Keith Altman (Attorney) Lauren Bright Pacheco  Jason Flom Click here to listen to Murder in Illinois: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-murder-in-illinois-84071522/   Please tell Governor Pritzker about your support for Christopher Vaughn: https://gov.illinois.gov/contact-us/voice-an-opinion.html https://www.instagram.com/govpritzker/?hl=en To write to Christopher, send letters to: Christopher Vaughn IDOC#MM33173 5835 State Route 154 Pinckneyville, IL 62274 To learn more, visit: https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/250-jason-flom-with-rodney-lincoln/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava For Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early 1990s, Calvin Buari was a well-known crack cocaine distributor in the Bronx, NY. In 1992, a disgruntled associate who had recently shot Calvin implicated him in the murder of Elijah and Salhaddin Harris. Calvin was charged with the double murder and six rival drug dealers testified against him at his 1995 murder trial. No physical evidence connected him to the crime. A jury took only two hours to convict Calvin of murder, and he was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. But he never stopped fighting for his freedom, and the case took a turn with a 2003 affidavit from the key witness against him who confessed to the crime, stating that he “pinned this double murder on Calvin Buari because of a dispute between Calvin and me, and because I wanted complete control of my drug spot.” Journalist Steve Fishman followed Calvin’s story for seven years and eyewitnesses, first interviewed by Fishman, testified in court in 2015 that Calvin was not the murderer. By May 2017, a judge overturned the conviction and ordered 46-year-old Calvin Buari freed. In this episode, Calvin is joined by Steve Fishman, who chronicles his journey for justice in the hit podcast Empire on Blood. To learn more, click here:https://link.chtbl.com/KsTvKFl3 Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Terrel Barros and his friends thought they were just going out clubbing until a tragic encounter changed all that. Then, authorities compounded that tragedy by sending an innocent man to prison and setting the confessed killer free.Learn more and get involved at: http://www.change.org/freeterrelbarros https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LQPNFwumJQ https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/with-jason-flom Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jerome Curry was arrested in connection with several shootings in the Bronx, NY, on September 20, 1996. When taken in for questioning, Jerome faced verbal and physical abuse from the police and ultimately falsely confessed to the shootings. Despite no physical evidence tying him to the crimes and questionable police tactics, Jerome was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for murder and attempted murder.  To learn more, visit: https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/444-jason-flom-with-rafael-martinez/ We started the Wrongful Conviction podcast to provide a voice to innocent people in prison.We want to hear your voices, too.So call us at 833-207-4666 and leave us a message.Tell us how these powerful, often tragic and sometimes triumphant, stories make you feel. Shocked?Inspired? Motivated?We want to know!We may even include your story in a future episode.And hey, the more of you that join in, the more power our collective voices will have.So tell a friend to listen and to call us too at 833-207-4666 Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One morning in February 1979, 21-year-old Joe Giarratano woke up to a horrific scene. Two of his housemates had been brutally murdered. Joe had a drop of blood on his shoe and no memory of the previous night due to alcohol and drug use. He was terrified that he had been the one that killed the two women. Overcome with grief and guilt, he turned himself into the police. Despite his descriptions of the crime never matching the crime scene, and a long list of errors in the investigation, Joe was convicted of the murders and sentenced to death in Virginia. That put him in the path of our second guest, anti-death penalty activist and minister Joe Ingle. Together with Marie Deans, they were in the trenches of the fight against the death penalty. Joe Giarratano eventually became an expert in the law, fighting not only his own conviction, but that of other prisoners — arguing one all the way to the Supreme Court. To learn more, visit: Too Close to the Flame by Joseph B. Ingle https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Too-Close-to-the-Flame/Joseph-B-Ingle/9781637632918 Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On August 16, 1981, shots were fired from a gangway into Piotrowski Park on the southwest side of Chicago, IL. As a result, two people were fatally shot, and another was injured. Initially, the police identified two men as their main suspects, but ultimately dropped those leads. Due to a combination of unethical interrogation techniques and faulty eyewitness testimony, a few members of the Two-Six Street Gang were arrested for the crime, including 18-year-old David Ayala. Despite multiple defense witnesses and no physical evidence tying him to the crime, David was convicted and sentenced to life without parole. To learn more and get involved, visit:https://www.gofundme.com/f/new-beginnings-for-david-ayala-support-his-reint?qid=62fe5c8abaa69bfeac6d1d0d370dda17 https://www.bonjeanlaw.com/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2003, 20-year-old Jofama Coleman was just getting his life together - he had a stable job, a nice place to live, a girlfriend, and a baby on the way. After a tumultuous childhood, things were finally going well. Then one day the police came to his workplace to question him about a murder in his Los Angeles, CA neighborhood. Due to faulty eyewitness testimony, Jofama was ultimately convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. 17 years later, mom and educator Jessica Jacobs got obsessed with true crime documentaries during the pandemic. She was inspired to get involved in the fight against wrongful convictions, eventually joining forces with legendary defense attorney Ellen Eggers to help Jofama argue his case. Their friendship is built on their shared belief in education, persistence and the power of self advocacy. To learn more, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jofama-colemans-justice-after-freedom?qid=dc334dfea004ee8a055ef2f9ec03f1b1 https://www.ditchschool.org Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On April 8, 1995, Reggie Lewis’s body was found in a creek behind the Dalebridge Apartments in Warrensville Heights, OH. He had two gunshot wounds to the back of his head. Willie and Ashunte Smith are serving life sentences for his murder based on testimony by their own cousin, William Marshall. Marshall recanted in 2022 and now swears it was actually his uncle who committed the crime but Marshall was so frightened at the time—by his uncle and the police—he was pressured into lying under oath and sending his cousins to prison.  The Ohio courts recently granted Willie and Ashunte a new trial. To learn more, visit:https://www.kimlawcrimlaw.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kimlawcrimlaw/?hl=en Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Bright was wrongfully convicted in New Orleans, LA for the murder of Elliot Porter in 1975. He would spend more than 27 years in Angola, the notorious prison in Louisiana built on a former slave plantation, and in many ways still run like one today. While incarcerated, Greg not only taught himself to read and write, he also learned enough about the law to challenge his conviction.   After his release in 2003, he met Lara Naughton, a compassion trainer and creative writing teacher. Together they created a one man show about Greg’s experience titled Never Fight a Shark in Water. The creative process helped both of them process trauma and explore what it means to embrace forgiveness and compassion. To learn more, visit: Lara Naughton’s memoir The Jaguar Man: https://centralrecoverypress.com/product/the-jaguar-man Never Fight a Shark in Water: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0W-L6Yvojc The Historic New Orleans Collection: https://www.hnoc.org/exhibitions/captive-state-louisiana-and-making-mass-incarceration Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On January 24, 2001, a man was fatally shot while being chased from a home in Detroit, MI. Anthony Legion was one of three men who were identified as being in the home at the time of the shooting, but no one claimed to have witnessed it. Due to a combination of questionable police tactics and false testimony from a jailhouse informant, Anthony was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.  To learn more and get involved, visit: https://anthonylegion.com/ https://organizationofexonerees.com/ https://www.safeandjustmi.org/ https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/425-jason-flom-with-larry-smith-jr/ We started the Wrongful Conviction podcast to provide a voice to innocent people in prison.We want to hear your voices, too.So call us at 833-207-4666 and leave us a message.Tell us how these powerful, often tragic and sometimes triumphant, stories make you feel. Shocked?Inspired? Motivated?We want to know!We may even include your story in a future episode.And hey, the more of you that join in, the more power our collective voices will have.So tell a friend to listen and to call us too at 833-207-4666 Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part 1, the Beaman family’s lives were torn apart by Alan’s wrongful conviction for the murder of Jennifer Lockmiller. It would take 13 years and the best legal team they could find to finally get Alan out of prison.But the story never ends when a wrongfully convicted person is released. Alan’s wife Gretchen joins the conversation to discuss the ripple effects of American Injustice, even decades later. Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On January 14, 2009, sixteen-month-old Benjamin Kingan died after being in daycare at a suburb outside of Chicago, IL. Despite no physical signs of abuse or injury, police took 22-year-old Melissa Calusinski, an employee at the daycare, in for extensive questioning. Melissa repeatedly told officers she had nothing to do with the baby’s death, but after nine hours of interrogation, she falsely confessed to throwing the baby on the ground. The state relied on the later disproven theory that Benjamin died from a skull fracture, junk science testimony from medical professionals, and Melissa’s false confession to sentence her to 31 years in prison for first-degree murder. Write your letters of support for Melissa’s clemency petition to IL Governor Pritzker and send to: attorneys@zellnerlawoffices.com Letters are due by 7/8/2024 https://www.kathleentzellner.com/melissa-calusinski https://www.facebook.com/groups/740709216037007/ We started the Wrongful Conviction podcast to provide a voice to innocent people in prison. We want to hear your voices, too.So call us at 833-207-4666 and leave us a message.Tell us how these powerful, often tragic and sometimes triumphant, stories make you feel.  Shocked?Inspired?  Motivated?We want to know! We may even include your story in a future episode.And hey, the more of you that join in, the more power our collective voices will have.So tell a friend to listen and to call us too at 833-207-4666 Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan Beaman was 21 years old when his life was forever altered. Going into his senior year in college, he suddenly found himself ensnared in the Normal, IL murder investigation of his former girlfriend, Jennifer Lockmiller. Despite a total lack of evidence, Alan was arrested just weeks before his graduation. He was ultimately convicted of murder and sentenced to 50 years.Through it all, his parents Carol and Barry fought for their son and did their best to keep his spirits high. Come back for part 2 and the conclusion of the Beaman’s incredible story. Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shortly before 1 a.m. on September 1, 1994, a car pulled up in front of an apartment building in Chicago, IL and a passenger fired several gunshots at a group of people, killing two and injuring a third. Notorious police detective Reynaldo Guevara was assigned the case and claimed that surviving eyewitnesses identified 19-year-old Roberto Almodovar and 17-year-old William Negron as the perpetrators. Despite no physical evidence tying either man to the crime, both men were sentenced to life in prison without parole for the shooting. To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.bonjeanlaw.com/ We started the Wrongful Conviction podcast to provide a voice to innocent people in prison. We want to hear your voices, too.So call us at 833-207-4666 and leave us a message.Tell us how these powerful, often tragic and sometimes triumphant, stories make you feel.  Shocked?Inspired?  Motivated?We want to know! We may even include your story in a future episode.And hey, the more of you that join in, the more power our collective voices will have.So tell a friend to listen and to call us too at 833-207-4666 Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On April 28th, 1989, 18-year-old Francisco Benitez was having a normal day. He picked up his paycheck, got a haircut, then went to his friend’s house to watch Beetlejuice on HBO. That same night two teenage boys were shot and killed. An eyewitness said as the shooter ran from the scene, she noticed that he had a fresh haircut. Despite no other similarities between Frank and her description of the shooter, not to mention no physical evidence, Frank was ultimately convicted of the crimes and sentenced to life without parole. The prison environment was violent and dangerous, Frank says he often wondered “is this the day that I’m going to die in prison?” But his mother Betty was steadfast in her love and her belief in Frank’s innocence. She told him over and over to never give up, even after 34 years, to keep believing that a brighter day is coming. To learn more and get involved, visit: Francisco Benitez Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/innocent-man-exonerated-after-34-years University of Chicago Law School Exoneration Project: https://www.law.uchicago.edu/clinics/exoneration Loevy & Loevy Civil Rights Law Firm: https://www.loevy.com/  Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shortly before midnight on February 16, 1984, James Montgomery was shot and killed as he walked with two friends on the eastside of Detroit, MI. Montgomery’s friends told police they recognized the gunman as 20-year-old Darrell Siggers who they had seen earlier in the night at a gathering. Despite no physical evidence linking him to the crime, Darrell was convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole. To learn more and get involved, visit:https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/163-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-tool-mark-analysis/https://www.wolfmuellerlaw.com/https://michigan.law.umich.edu/academics/experiential-learning/clinics/michigan-innocence-clinic-0 We started the Wrongful Conviction podcast to provide a voice to innocent people in prison. We want to hear your voices, too.So call us at 833-207-4666 and leave us a message.Tell us how these powerful, often tragic and sometimes triumphant, stories make you feel.  Shocked?Inspired?  Motivated?We want to know! We may even include your story in a future episode.And hey, the more of you that join in, the more power our collective voices will have.So tell a friend to listen and to call us too at 833-207-4666 Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When he was just 20 years old, an act of violence changed James “Jimmy” Soto’s life forever. Despite no physical evidence and numerous alibi witnesses, Jimmy and his cousin David were convicted of a 1981 double homicide in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, IL. They would end up serving 42 years in prison, the longest served wrongful conviction sentences in Illinois history.While incarcerated, Jimmy earned a bachelor’s degree and became a regular in the law library. He helped dozens of his fellow inmates with their legal cases, including his cellmate, Robert Almodovar. Jimmy and Robert formed a lifelong friendship. They helped each other survive prison — and now that they are both exonerated, they’re helping each other adjust to life on the outside. To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/life-after-42-yrs-of-wrongful-imprisonmenthttps://paroleillinois.org/ Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On March 6, 2001, two masked men attempted to rob a small restaurant in McHenry, IL. The owner, wielding a butcher knife, and his employee chased the men out of the restaurant, and in the ensuing chase, the owner was shot and killed. Police began to focus on 19-year-old Jennifer McMullan and some of her friends after finding out that they were in the area at the time of the shooting. A couple of months later, police – believing Jennifer was the getaway driver in the shooting – questioned her for 15 hours resulting in Jennifer falsely confessing to the murder. Despite the only eyewitness not identifying Jennifer’s friend group as the perpetrators, she was sentenced to 27 years in prison for first-degree murder.  TO GET INVOLVED, PLEASE CALL ILLINOIS GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER AT 217-782-0244 AND SAY: "Governor Pritzker -Jennifer McMullan was wrongfully convicted as a party to a 2001 robbery homicide. It appears the prosecution withheld evidence of more compelling suspects who had confessed to multiple witnesses. Further, DNA test results have made the state’s theory in her case completely implausible. Her clemency petition is currently under review, and she rightfully deserves a pardon.I hope you do what is just.Thank you." YOU CAN ALSO WRITE GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER AT:Office of the Governor555 W. Monroe St., 16th FloorChicago, IL 60661 To learn more, visit:https://www.uis.edu/illinoisinnocenceproject https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/443-jason-flom-with-mario-casciaro/ We started the Wrongful Conviction podcast to provide a voice to innocent people in prison. We want to hear your voices, too.So call us at 833-207-4666 and leave us a message.Tell us how these powerful, often tragic and sometimes triumphant, stories make you feel.  Shocked?Inspired?  Motivated?We want to know! We may even include your story in a future episode.And hey, the more of you that join in, the more power our collective voices will have.So tell a friend to listen and to call us too at 833-207-4666 Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.