Wrongful Conviction

<p>In 1998, Vanessa Gathers was wrongfully convicted of robbing and beating 71-year-old Michael Shaw to death. There was no physical evidence linking Vanessa to the crime, and her conviction was based on a false confession extracted from her by notorious New York police detective Louis Scarcella, whose tactics led to the wrongful convictions of more than a dozen people. She is joined by her attorney Lisa Cahill in this episode.</p> <p><a href="https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/"><em>Wrongful Conviction</em></a><em> </em>&nbsp;is a production of<a href="https://lavaforgood.com/"> Lava for Good&trade; Podcasts</a> in association with<a href="https://www.signalco1.com/"> Signal Co. No1.</a></p> <p>​​<em>We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.</em></p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>Ryan Ferguson was a 17-year-old high school student when Kent Heitholt, a sportswriter for the Columbia Daily Tribune, was found beaten and strangled in Missouri. Heitholt's murder went unsolved for two years until police received a tip that a man named Charles Erickson could not remember the evening of the murder and had told a friend that he thought he may have been involved. Erickson, who had spent that fateful evening partying with Ryan Ferguson, was interrogated by police and despite initially seeming to have no memory of the night of the murder, eventually confessed and implicated Ryan as well. Police offered Erickson a plea deal in exchange for testimony against Ryan at his trial in 2005. Despite the lack of any physical evidence tying Ryan Ferguson to the crime, he was convicted of second-degree murder and robbery and sentenced to 40 years in prison.&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/">Wrongful Conviction</a> &nbsp;is a production of<a href="https://lavaforgood.com/"> Lava for Good&trade; Podcasts</a> in association with<a href="https://www.signalco1.com/"> Signal Co. No1.</a></p> <p><em>​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.</em></p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-crying-wolf-293793384/"><em>Crying Wolf</em></a> is a gripping true crime podcast that follows the story of Lee Harris, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to 90 years in prison after a coerced confession. In prison, he formed a deep bond with fellow inmate Robert, who vowed to clear Lee's name. After two decades of relentless effort, exposing corrupt detectives, prison informants, and with the help of a determined defense attorney, Robert succeeded. In 2023, Lee walked free&mdash;only to die suddenly a few months later.</p> <p>This podcast delves into the chilling legacy of Detective Richard Zuley, notorious for extracting false confessions, and the deep-seated corruption that plagues Chicago&rsquo;s justice system. With Lee gone, Robert is determined to continue the fight, exposing the city&rsquo;s dark history and pursuing justice for the wrongfully convicted. Join us as we unravel a story of friendship, betrayal, and the quest for redemption.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>On September 1, 1990, Thomas Peters and James Coleman were shot while shooting craps outside a liquor store on the west side of Chicago, IL at about 1:30 am. The men were taken to a hospital, where Peters died and Coleman was treated and released for a gunshot wound in the back. Day and a codefendant were arrested eight days later after a nephew of Peters and witness to the crime, told police they were the shooters. Despite several other witnesses willing to attest to Day&rsquo;s innocence, both he and his codefendant were found guilty and sentenced to concurrent prison terms of 60 years for murder and 25 years for attempted murder. In this episode, Antoine Day is joined by Laura Caldwell, a former civil trial attorney who is now the director of Life After Innocence.</p> <p><a href="https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/with-jason-flom">https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/with-jason-flom</a></p> <p><a href="https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/"><em>Wrongful Conviction</em></a><em> </em>&nbsp;is a production of<a href="https://lavaforgood.com/"> Lava for Good&trade; Podcasts</a> in association with<a href="https://www.signalco1.com/"> Signal Co. No1.</a></p> <p>​​<em>We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.</em></p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>On November 16, 1983, a 28-year-old woman was attacked and sexually assaulted by an unknown male as she was walking home from work in Lowell, MA. The following evening, a 23-year-old woman was attacked less than one hundred yards away from the site of the first assault. Even though no biological evidence could link him to any of the crimes, Dennis Maher, who was a sergeant in the United States Army at the time, was arrested and charged with both attacks, as well as an unsolved rape from the previous summer. He was convicted based on eyewitness misidentifications made by the victims, all of whom identified him in photographic lineups. Dennis Maher is joined by attorney Alex Spiro and New England Innocence Project Director of Communications Hannah Riley.</p> <p><a href="https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/"><em>Wrongful Conviction</em></a><em> </em><em>&nbsp;is a production of</em><a href="https://lavaforgood.com/"><em> Lava for Good&trade; Podcasts</em></a><em> in association with</em><a href="https://www.signalco1.com/"><em> Signal Co. No1.</em></a></p> <p><em>​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.</em></p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>On July 9, 2006, at Club Crystal in Waterloo, IA, an individual later identified as Tonye Jackson was shot multiple times and killed on the property. The shooting occurred during active nightclub hours, with multiple patrons present at the scene. Three gunshots along with Jeff Smith&rsquo;s nickname were audible on a recorded Black Hawk County Jail phone call contemporaneous with the incident. After a trial lacking physical evidence tying Jeff to the crime and marked by timeline manipulation, unreliable witness statements, and significant nondisclosure of exculpatory evidence, a Black Hawk County jury found Jeff Smith guilty of First-Degree Murder and sentenced him to life in prison without parole.</p> <p>To learn more and get involved:</p> <p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thereal_atprichie/">https://www.instagram.com/thereal_atprichie/</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGVQsUTD9IQF1POBPkLgXTA">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGVQsUTD9IQF1POBPkLgXTA</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV4qNY9U5g4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV4qNY9U5g4</a></p> <p>To get involved in helping exonerees like Jeff Smith rebuild their lives after release:</p> <p><a href="http://www.after-innocence.org/">www.after-innocence.org</a></p> <p><a href="https://lavaforgood.com/with-lauren-bright-pacheco/"><em>Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco</em></a><em>&nbsp; is a production of</em><a href="https://lavaforgood.com/"><em> </em><em>Lava for Good&trade; Podcasts</em></a><em> in association with</em><a href="https://www.signalco1.com/"><em> </em><em>Signal Co. No1.</em></a></p> <p><em>​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.</em></p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>On November 22, 1975, a mother reported her three-year-old son missing after seeing him roaming in the vicinity of a wooded area behind their apartment complex in Richmond, VA. His body was found in the river nine miles from his home four days later. The murder garnered tremendous media attention and public outrage, yet the police failed to find a lead or suspect. 20-year-old Marvin Grimm Jr. lived across the hall from the family and, based on two arguments Grimm had with the boy&rsquo;s father almost a month after the murder, police set their sights on him. After a nine-hour work day, police picked up Grimm and subjected him to another nine-plus hours of interrogation, causing Grimm to break down and confess to killing the boy. Grimm pleaded guilty, and the court sentenced him to life in prison.&nbsp;</p> <p>To learn more and get involved:</p> <p><a href="https://www.arnoldporter.com/en">https://www.arnoldporter.com/en</a></p> <p><a href="https://innocenceproject.org/">https://innocenceproject.org/</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.law.virginia.edu/clinics/innocence-project-uva-school-law">https://www.law.virginia.edu/clinics/innocence-project-uva-school-law</a></p> <p><a href="https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/236-jason-flom-with-thomas-haynesworth/">https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/236-jason-flom-with-thomas-haynesworth/</a></p> <p><a href="https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/401-guest-host-ashley-fantz-with-marvin-anderson/">https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/401-guest-host-ashley-fantz-with-marvin-anderson/</a></p> <p><em>Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco </em>&nbsp;is a production of Lava for Good&trade; Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.</p> <p>​​<em>We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.</em></p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>On March 14, 1998, 16-year-old Benjamin Urias was shot in the Pico-Union neighborhood in Los Angeles, CA. The shot was not fatal, but Urias was hospitalized for two days. Urius was member of the 18th Street Gang, and told investigators that the shooter walked with a limp and shouted &ldquo;Burlington Locos,&rdquo; the name of another Los Angeles gang. Four days before the shooting, Oscar Eagle turned 18 years old. And two days before that, Eagle was shot in the leg. He was walking with a limp, and the since disgraced CRASH Unit targeted Eagle. A corrupted photo lineup and identification, coupled with egregiously ineffective counsel resulted in Eagle&rsquo;s conviction for attempted first-degree murder. He was sentenced to 25 years to life.&nbsp;</p> <p>To learn more and get involved:</p> <p><a href="https://www.calinnocence.org/">https://www.calinnocence.org/</a></p> <p><em>Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco </em>&nbsp;is a production of Lava for Good&trade; Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.</p> <p>​​<em>We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.</em></p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>Six new, inspiring episodes of Wrongful Conviction, hosted by Lauren Bright Pacheco, that celebrate the potential of human connection to empower ordinary people to overcome extraordinary odds and injustices. Real individuals who unexpectedly became one another&rsquo;s personal heroes by turning tragedy into triumph.</p> <p><em>Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco will be available every Thursday beginning November 13 wherever you get your podcasts. To hear episodes ad-free, subscribe to Lava for Good+ on Apple Podcasts.</em></p> <p><em>Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco</em> is a production of Lava for Good&trade; Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>On October 15, 2015, Quortnety Tolliver was attacked with a hammer in her home in Ravenna Township, OH. She woke up from a medically induced coma weeks later with absolutely no recollection of the incident. Nevertheless, Portage County detectives pressed her to identify the person they &ldquo;found out who did this&rdquo; &ndash; 47 year old David Smith. Ms. Tolliver refused to identify Mr. Smith until she faced her own charges and had a dream with Mr. Smith in it, apparently indicating that he was the perpetrator. Based on Ms. Tolliver&rsquo;s fraught identification alone, a jury convicted Mr. Smith of attempted murder and sentenced him to 22 years in prison.</p> <p>To learn more and get involved:</p> <p><a href="https://www.kimlawcrimlaw.com/">https://www.kimlawcrimlaw.com/</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kimlawcrimlaw/?hl=en">https://www.instagram.com/kimlawcrimlaw/?hl=en</a></p> <p><a href="https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/377-jason-flom-with-tyrone-noling-update/">https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/377-jason-flom-with-tyrone-noling-update/</a></p> <p><a href="https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/335-maggie-freleng-with-charles-jackson/">https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/335-maggie-freleng-with-charles-jackson/</a></p> <p><em>Wrongful Conviction</em> is a production of Lava for Good&trade; Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.</p> <p>​​<em>We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.</em></p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>On May 21, 1988, about 5:00 a.m., the victim, after an argument with her boyfriend, left his parked car and walked alone toward her home in St. Louis, MO. Shortly thereafter, three males pulled their car alongside her, jumped out of the car, grabbed the victim by the hair, pulled her into an alley, pushed her to the ground, and tore her dress. Two of the men held her down, while the third man sodomized and raped her.&nbsp; The victim identified the rapist as Fredrico Lowe-Bey.&nbsp;</p> <p>Fredrico Lowe-Bey was charged and convicted for kidnapping, rape, and sodomy of the woman and received consecutive sentences of 35 years for each sex-offense count and 15 years for tampering.</p> <p>Years later DNA testing has "affirmatively excluded Lowe-Bey", though he remains behind bars today.</p> <p>To learn more and get involved:</p> <p><a href="https://centurion.org/donatenow/">https://centurion.org/donatenow/</a></p> <p><em>Wrongful Conviction</em> is a production of <a href="https://lavaforgood.com/">Lava for Good</a>&trade; Podcasts in association with <a href="https://www.signalco1.com/">Signal Co. No1.</a></p> <p>​​<em>We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.</em></p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>