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This world is dying. I've done a ton of research on this and discovered you. You know this is crazy, right? Focus Features presents Begonia. You're in an echo chamber. I know what you are. Alien fell off this fall. We have four days to save Earth. When the clock runs out. If you let me go, I have information you need. The truth will be revealed. You're not in control anymore. We are. Begonia Betador, under 17. Not admitted without a parent. Now playing in select theaters, in theaters everywhere. October 31st. The new evidence that came out. Nobody can ignore it. There is a lot on the line today. He wants justice for his daughter. I want justice for my son. Police don't know. Even if the crime happened here, we would not be here working on his case. We didn't truly believe that the state got it wrong. The courtroom was packed, definitely tense just hours ago. Breaking new developments in the Jessica Curry case Today was a huge step. They're also fighting for us as well. I'm so, so sorry. Stories about what happened to Jessica don't quite match up. I believe that the people that were involved, we brought them to justice. We stand by the investigations that we did. I just don't know why it's taken so long. It's just been A long, long 25 years. This case is not going to be forgotten about. I've got enough right now to take all of you down. But I come to you for the truth. Hopefully someone will come forward and tell what they know. And the truth will come out. Jean Curran hung her head in disbelief. Why did they get you? You tell me. Didn't know her. Never met her, never seen her. Because I did not know her or anything, man. I kept telling them, I don't know anything. Leave me alone. I didn't do well. You. She kept straight ahead down that road and down that hill. That's the last time. That's the last time I saw Jessica. These roads are so dark, anyone in a car could have pulled up and scooped her. Why should we believe you now after all the L. Utah a large tornado looks like it is going to have almost a direct hit here on Mayfield. This is a confirmed tornado on the ground. The small Kentucky town of Mayfield, population of about 10,000 reduced to rubble. Just sounded like a bright train. It is scary. You can see this trailer just completely flipped over their downtown, devastated the courthouse. The clock tower ripped off. Much like that tornado which left so many victims. This story has had a long lasting impact on Mayfield, Kentucky. It involves an unspeakable crime. A father who was a firefighter and nearly a dozen suspects. The investigation ripped through this tight knit community, fueling rumors and leaving so many unanswered questions about what exactly happened to 18 year old Jessica Curran. This is our fire truck here. This is a picture of the crew. This is all the captains. You were a captain at this fire station? Yes. How long? Well, I made captain three years before I retired. Did you always want to be a firefighter? No. I really never dreamed of being a firefighter. No? No, I didn't. How did it turn out this way? Well, I was just needing a job at a time when it was hard to find one. And I ended up being a firefighter, which is something I really love because I like helping people. I used to walk from school just down the street here and I used to cut across here where the fire department is. Little did you know, and little did I know, someday I would be in there. My name is Joe Curran and Jessica Curran was my daughter. I have four kids. Jessica is the second one. Joe, how would you describe your daughter Jessica? She was outgoing and she was very thoughtful, friendly, passionate. She was really a person that you would want for a friend. My name is Venetia Stubblefield. Jessica was my cousin. She was a sweet girl. She really was. She is an awesome friend. She was somebody you could sit down, laugh, talk to about any and everything that she kept to herself. She was a beautiful girl. Jessica Curran? Yes. How did you get to know her? She was friends with a few of my cousins. Her family owned like a fishing pond. We used to go fishing there. And she was a very nice person. She was very helpful, she was very friendly. She had a baby. That's Zion. This is. This is Zion? Yes, that's ZION. Jessica was 18 when she had the baby. She was a good mother. She'd check on him, she'd keep him, she'd hold him, she'd play with him. And she didn't really like to leave him much, being that that was her first child. She adored that baby. She really did. After she got pregnant, she decided she wanted to move out all at once. And me and her brother helped her move in the Plaza Apartments. All I wanted was her to go back to school and she had did that. She was finishing up her ged. I was a GED instructor and Jessica was one of my students. She was a fun, loving child. And then on July 29, 2000, she vanishes. Yes. I got off work that night. My wife had already talked and she had told me that I'd go by and Pick up Zion. And when I went by Jessica's apartment, she was talking with her friends and they told me that they most likely would go over to Venetia and her friend's house and play some chords. She got me the baby and I put him in the car and brought him on home. We were just sitting there playing spades and listening to music and that's it. And having a couple of drinks because it was just like a basically ladies night. So take me back to July 29th. Was Jessica in a good mood that night? Happy? Yes, she was. Yeah, she was actually happy. She was happy that she got to get out for a little bit and enjoy the weather, enjoy sunlight and get some air and take a break. Because she had been at home with her kid, always had her little earrings in her ears, little rings on her finger, necklaces and bracelets. What time did she decide to head out to leave the guest room? Probably about 1 o', clock, 1:30 ish, almost 2. I tried to get her a ride home, even offered to help walk her home. And she was like, no, I'm fine, I got it, trust me. She was like, trust me. Cause I got would be three or four miles. It was on the opposite side of town. That's where the Plaza apartments were. At least 30 minutes, 30 to 45 minutes, I would say. We stood right here and watched her walk until we didn't see her walking no more. And she kept straight ahead down that road and down that hill. Jessica decides to head out on foot. According to Venetia, Jessica says goodbye to her friends right around here and then heads off into the darkness. It's really crazy to me that she decided to make this walk. It's a really scary. And that's when we became very nervous. You knew something was wrong and that was it. And that's the last time I saw her. There's a saying I heard on a recent trip to the south. A half truth is a whole lie. And if there's a place that breathes life into that proverb, it's the town of Mayfield in Graves County, Kentucky. You had to come to this town. Why did you have to physically be here in Mayfield, Anytime you come to a location, it helps you understand the scene better. Well known podcaster Maggie Freeling dug into the Jessica Curran case. What did you wind up getting? Well, what I think we got was the lengths we go to to get justice. Her reporting culminated in the new installment of the Bone Valley podcast, Season three, Graves County. This is Graves County. Chapter one. My name is Maggie Freeling. I'm a Pulitzer winning journalist and producer who has spent years reporting on the criminal legal system. That's how I first heard about this case. Coming to a place like this is so important to gather information, especially in a small town where everyone's talking. Mayfield, Kentucky? Yes. What is that place like? It's a very small town. It's pretty much like everybody knows everybody. I'm Tina Slusser and I taught at Mayfield Middle School. Mayfield is a nice place to live. I raised three boys there. The people all seem to be friendly. Mayfield to me was like, although it's small and countryish, it still reminded me of like a little city. I was born and raised in Mayfield. One thing that my family was kind of big on, be careful who you party with and hang with, because you never know what they'll do to you. There wasn't a lot of crime or anything like that. We knew that there were some kind of call themselves gangsters, little guys that, you know, tried to sell drugs and stuff like that, and they got in trouble. Mayfield, Kentucky is in the area where the KKK is based out of in Kentucky. And so there is a bit of segregation, I guess, that took place in that city. Did you face discrimination growing up? I would have to tell you the truth. Yes, I had. Some of the teachers said they didn't really want me in their class. It's just how it was back in those days. Sunday, July 30th. It's the morning after Jessica had gone to that card game with her friends and her parents stopped by her apartment. We went by to pick her up to go to church that Sunday morning. We knocked on the door. We didn't get any answers, so we went to church. And then after we got out of church, we kind of went back to her house and started asking some of the people around the neighborhood if they had seen her. And of course, none of them said that they had seen her. You knew something was wrong. My wife had already said it because she hadn't called, but she normally called and checked on Zion. And I told her she's a young lady, 18. She just moved out like a week before. That's where she had an apartment, huh? Yeah. What happens when her parents come here that day? Jessica's not. Not here. They instantly were worried. Not wrong for her. She would never leave her son. She would never leave her son. She was in love with her son. So Jessica had just moved to her apartment and had plans to go to college, so things were looking up for her. But the streets had been talking about her new baby boy. What was the talk around town about her baby? That it belonged to a guy by the name of Jeremy Adams. Jeremy Adams is the father of Jessica Kern's son. I knew Jeremy. We weren't friends, but we knew each other. So he began a vibe, you know, and his vibe just never was good vibe to me. So I never hung around him. He was always nice. He was a sweet person, you know what I'm saying? But it's like certain people that he hung with, that's what gave him a bad name and a bad reputation. There was no relationship between Jessica and Jeremy Adams, Just kind of a one time kind of thing. He didn't want to see her anymore, she didn't want to see him anymore. She had another boyfriend, and that was Lolo Saxton. And he seems to be a pretty good guy and, you know, pretty thoughtful. Sheena and Joe pulled up at my mom's house asking about Jessica. We didn't really know what to do, so we decided we'd check around to see what we could find out. Jessica's family searches for two days. And then there's news of a startling discovery behind the middle school on August 1, 2000. School hadn't officially started. We had planted some plants out back and I wanted to check on them. And so I was walking out back and when I opened the door, I saw this shoe laying on the ground. And it was a sandal and it looked like somebody had just walked out of it or ran out of it. And I looked to my left and there was a body laying there. And I was, you know, it was just floored me to no end. The body had been burned. I mean, it was a horrible sight to see. And then you hear that a body has been found. Yes, a body was found. And then that's when we became very nervous. We went on straight to the police department. They hadn't completely or exactly identified her yet. Then they showed some of the jewelry that she had on, and it was, most of it was my wife. It was a total shock. I mean, we didn't never dreamed that it would be her. It was like in shock. Like, are you serious? And was like, wow. We just dropped our cups and just fell to the ground and just cried. I can only imagine what it must be like to process your daughter being gone. Yeah, it's not easy. It's hard, especially hard on my wife. It's something that stays deep in your soul. Jessica Curran gets murdered. How did you find out? It was the talk of the tale. A teacher found a burned body behind Mayfield Middle School. They say it looks like a homicide. It's scary that somebody could dump a body right almost in your front door. Somebody got killed and burned up. Definitely a big deal. I was shocked. I was angry and it hurt. All agencies are working basically around the clock. My thought was, who could have killed her. Police start hearing about rumors ripping through Mayfield. So far, police say there are no motives and no suspects. It was like the Crucible. I mean, everyone was out for everyone. This show is supported by Lazarus, a new thriller series from Amazon Prime Video. In Lazarus, bestselling mystery writer Harlan Coben returns to television with a twisted tale of lies, murder and long buried family secrets. The series focuses on forensic psychiatrist Dr. Joel Lazarus, known as Laz to his friends. When Laz first hears of his father's death, the initial theory is it was a suicide. But the suspicious circumstances tell a different story. Soon, Laz finds himself drawn into a world of murderous conspiracies and a race to find his father's killer. Lazarus stars Sam Claplin as Laz and Bill Nye as his father. October is the perfect month to watch this heart pounding story of thrills and chills. And Lazarus blends high octane stakes with family tensions that feel so real. So curl up on the couch with a warm blanket for this action packed thrill ride. Watch Harlan Coben's Lazarus now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. I'm John Quinones. Vanessa Guillen, a 20 year old soldier vanishes while on duty at an army base in Texas. Her family demands answers. How can she go missing on a military base? That's too ridiculous. The search goes on for months. Where is Vanessa? And a dark story starts to unfold. She told her family that she was being sexually harassed and wasn't reporting it out of fear of retribution and retaliation. What investigators finally uncover is horrifying. Find out how one soldier, a beloved sister and daughter ignited a movement and sparked a reckoning in the US Military. Listen to Vanished what Happened to Vanessa? A new series from ABC Audio in 2020. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. Pulling up to this. Looks like the police station. Wow. This is the police station. This is the police station. Like a small little house. Podcaster Maggie Freeling and I drove through Mayfield, Kentucky, following the alleged path of the crime. Her apartment was right back here. You see it? Oh, yeah. The last building right there on the left. And she had just moved in. She had just moved in. She had barely spent any time there. Police video documents the day Jessica Curran's body was discovered in that schoolyard in a place where children play. Murder investigators are now at work. Police don't know how long the body has been here or even if the crime happened here. They do know the body had already started decomposing, and there were signs of a struggle. Jessica's sandals are there and her ripped underwear, untouched by fire, apparently removed before she was burned. Her dress is above her waist. The middle school is about a 20 minute walk from where Venetia Stubblefield says she and Jessica said goodbye. It's a long way from her home at Mayfield Plaza Apartments. It's the middle school, and we're going right over there. So Mayfield Middle School, huh? This is the Mayfield Middle School. And back in 2000, none of this was here, so it was just this building. So right back here, we're gonna walk up to this gate, there was a little garden area, and she was found right between there. Did police initially believe she was killed here? Initially? This is what they believed was the crime scene. It seems like someone was trying to run. Her sandal was found a little farther away from her body. It's been approximately two years since we've had our last homicide here in Mayfield. The Kentucky State Police and the state medical examiner are all called in to help work the case. A Mayfield patrolman, already tapped to make detective is promoted on the spot. The day that they found her body is the day I was made a detective. Rookie Detective Tim Fortner is appointed lead investigator, and with the help of more experienced detectives, he will run the case. Because I was still in the uniform, they said, go home and put your, you know, get you some khakis and a white shirt. And so they sent me home to do that. He came to the house and told me and my wife that he had absolutely no experience and he didn't know what he was doing, and he don't know why they put him on the case, but he was on the case and he was trying to do it. On the day that he assigned you to the Jessica Curran murder investigation, did you feel like you were qualified to handle that investigation case? Absolutely not. There was some physical evidence. There was a belt that came into play later in the case that was found. Braided belt also that was kind of burnt a little bit. So it was kind of really, really crazy for us to find out that she had been beaten, strangled, and then set on fire. That shows a lot of extreme hate. The autopsy report notes Jessica suffered blunt head trauma. And based on the braided belt found next to her body, strangulation There was an issue about in particular a dress that Jessica had on at the time of her body being found. One of the garments that she was wearing was just basically thrown away. And I remember holding it up at the time of the autopsy, asking somebody, I'm not sure who was present at the autopsy, do you want this article of clothing? And the answer was no. Mayfield police acknowledged that Jessica's dress was not preserved. It was just. It doesn't make sense. It was just really not good. Two days earlier, soon after authorities believe Jessica Kern was killed, a deputy sheriff encountered a man named Quincy Cross just outside Mayfield and asked him, you know, what the problem was. He stated he'd run out of gas. The deputy noted that Quincy kept pulling up his pants because he didn't have a belt on. He had a pair of dark pants on with no belt. It was a belt that was found near Jessica's body. That belt is used to kill Jessica. He was holding a gas can, attempting to try to said he spilled some gas on his pants. They could see a little residue on the car. The accelerant that was used to burn Jessica's body was gasoline also. The deputy gives Quincy a ride to a nearby home on Chris Drive where Quincy had been partying earlier. He ultimately was found in possession of cocaine. He was arrested. Quincy Cross is in the county jail on drug charges when Jessica's burned body is discovered. Collect call from Quincy Cross. All these years later, I spoke to Quincy on the phone. Do you remember being questioned about Jessica's murder in 2000? Yeah, but it didn't really bother me, you know what I'm saying? To hear somebody asking me questions. I kept telling, I don't know nothing about nothing. I don't know about none of that. Quincy Cross says he's no killer. With little evidence to prove him wrong, detectives turned to Jessica's cousin. And a startling allegation is the person who says she last saw Jessica walking off alone, keeping secrets about her death. I was like, mom, the police is here. She's like, what? I was like, the police is here. The investigation into the murder of Jessica Curran, who was found dead behind the Mayfield, Kentucky middle school graduates to high school when administrators alert police that two students may have information. When the situation happened with Jessica, Victoria went back and lied on me to the school's resource police officer, 17 year old Venetia Stubblefield and 15 year old Victoria call two schoolmates who will be at the center of this case for the next 25 years. So how would you describe what you've been through. I would describe it as being very traumatic and not easygoing at all and very hard. What was going on? There was a lot of sexual abuse, physical abuse, mental. It was just a lot. That traumatized teenager is then caught up in a murder case when they discover Jessica's body. You were interviewed by investigators? Yes. 12:47pm Thursday, the seventh day of September. I'm at the May 5th High School in the conference room outside the principal's office. Present is myself, Detective Tim Portner and also Victoria Caldwell. Detectives, pull Victoria out of class for an interview. Somebody had given me some information that possibly that you might have ever heard a conversation between somebody about the murder or homicide, whatever you want to call it, of Jessica Curran. She tells them that before the murder, she overheard Jeremy Attam, the father of Jessica's baby, talking to Jessica's boyfriend, Carlos Saxton, nicknamed Lolo. Okay, what were they saying? Do you remember? Oh, no, B. Worse. Payback's a bitch. Yeah. Okay. And he said, we're gonna get a good. But what Victoria says next is more astonishing. She says Venetia, the cousin who had said Jessica walked off alone that night, was now saying Jessica was taken for a ride by Jeremy Adams. She went and told them that I approached her and told her that I know something about a girl's body being behind the school and about a girl being killed. No, she was walking that way, and the mission and Jeremy and some more people that were in the car. I think it was like two more people that was in the car. I guess they get her in the car or something, and I guess. And Venetia told me to stop the car and look me up because I don't want to be doing it. And that's all she's doing. That's when we get a knock at the door, and Mom's like, see who it is at the door. I was like, mom, the police is here. She's like, what? I was like, the police is here. Venetia tells detectives Victoria is lying. Victoria tells police that she. That you said you were in a white car with Jeremy Adams. Is that true? No, sir, it was not. Why would she lie? Cause that's the typical person that she was, and that's the type of person that. The type of stuff that she did to her friends. Six months after the murder, a grand jury indicts Jeremy Adams and Carlos Saxton. Adams is charged with murder. Saxton with complicity to commit murder. Both pled not guilty, denying any involvement in Jessica's death. Saxton and Adams. Do you Think the police did a good job of investigating them? I don't know. I was hoping that they did. The case relied largely on two inmates who police say told them Adams had confessed and implicated Saxton. A trial is set for Adams, with Saxton's trial to follow. But between crime and punishment, it all falls apart. The murder trial of Jeremy Adams was supposed to start this week, but Judge John Dalde dropped the charges. The police and prosecutors do not hand over at least 18 tapes of interviews to the defense. So the case winds up being dismissed. The charges against Jeremy and Lolo are dropped. The case is in shambles. So is the police department. The chief and assistant chief have left the force for unrelated reasons. Mayfield hands over the case to the Kentucky State Police. This case is not going to be forgotten about by the family and friends of Jessica Curran. And I can assure you this case is not going to be forgotten about by the Kentucky State Police. Victoria moves to California. Detective Sam Stuart with Kentucky State Police. Venetia is questioned repeatedly by state police. Police detectives, we are here today to offer you full immunity. Okay? You can tell me today that you killed her. Okay? And you're immune. I will not. I'm not here to charge you with anything. I will not charge you with anything. Okay? Every time she insists she had nothing to do with the death of Jessica Curran the night that she was murdered, that night after she left us, that was it. I didn't see her no more. So whatever statements y' all got saying that I did, well, you're wrong, because I did not see her no more that night. I had stuck with my story from the beginning. When they first questioned me, I never skipped a beat. I never switched it up. I've never changed anything out of my story. But you're telling us right now that you were not there. If y' all give me a Bible right now, I put my right hand on the God on that one to let y' all know that I was not there. Bring me the Bible, booty. My right hand on this Bible. I was never in that car, and I never date. Jessica may not be here today in body, but she is definitely here in spirit. Now an unofficial investigator emerges. A cape wearing crusader. Susan Galbraith is one of those people who's kind of putting and kind of just really knows everyone from around town. Again, it's a small town. She knows people. She knows law enforcement. The day Jessica's body was found, Susan Galbraith, who's not a police officer, was right there at the crime scene. That's When Susan says her curiosity turned into an obsession. If the cops weren't going to crack the case, she would. I am 99% sure that I know exactly what happened the night that Jesse died. Okay? I know who killed her. The self appointed detective interrogates Venetia. People that I've talked to are saying that you were at the scene. To be honest with you, Sue, I had no part in none of this. I did not. Still ahead, the citizen detective claims there's a witness willing to come forward, but in fear for their life. She messages saying she has information, but she's scared to talk and she doesn't know who she should talk to. She was afraid that she was going to be hurt, injured or killed. The Mayfield Police Department had the case for three years and didn't solve it. Then the state police had the case for about three years. It's now six years after Jessica Curran's murder and Victoria Caldwell resurfaces. The first lead the Mayfield police received was from Victoria. Victoria indicated to the police that they should look at Jeremy Adams, the father of Jessica Curran's son, and also Carlos Saxton, who is her boyfriend at the time. Remember, charges were dropped against both men. Now living in California, Victoria reaches out to the state police and says her sister Rosie has passed on an alleged threat to Victoria's life. She just started yelling like I told you they were going to kill you. She was yelling at you that she told you they were going to kill you. Yes, but who was going to kill you? Quincy. Quincy Cross, the man who was arrested reeking of gasoline just hours after Jessica vanished. Police then speak to Rosie about that alleged death threat. And Quincy directly said that you what? That he wanted to kill my sister. Okay. And did he tell you why? Due to that case. Because she was running her mouth. Has Quincy or anybody else directly told you that they were involved in the murder of Jessica Curry? Just Quincy. Quincy has told me he was involved in the murder. We have. I have been there when they're discussing the murder and stuff like that. Him and Tamara. My name is Tamara Caldwell. Rosie and Victoria were my first cousins. We never talked to each other really. I just didn't hang out with him. Has Tamara ever told you that Quincy was involved in this murder? Quincy never asked me or talked to me about anything about dealing with Jessica Hearn's murder. He never did. Tamara Caldwell, your relationship with her? That's my cousin. We really never really got along just because our moms really butted heads a lot. Tamara had dated Quincy back in the Day. Yeah, I thought Quincy was cute. We got along great. My kids loved him. They still love him. How odd would it be for you to call Pamela? Can you get her to talking about Quincy? Yeah, I can probably get her talking about Quincy. That same day, at the request of the state police, Rosie calls her cousin Tamara on the phone. Cause you know the cops are hot on Quincy. Okay. Did you know he was involved in that murder? Yep. Okay. Cause I didn't know. Somebody said that they was going to try to kill Victoria, so not easy. Tamara doesn't acknowledge any threat against Victoria. And today she says she doesn't even remember the call. I do not recall that conversation that Rosie had with me. No, I don't. The state police continue following leads and interviewing people. Then three months later, they speak to Quincy Cross. Who do you think killed us? I don't know. I didn't know her. Detectives hone in on that morning after Jessica disappeared. When Quincy says he left that party on Chris Drive, ran out of gasoline, spilled some on himself, and encountered a deputy on the road. He smelled gas on me. You know what I'm saying? He gonna put down on paper a strong. A strong, strong odor of gasoline. Like I was feeling like I done done. What's gasoline got going on in your cold? Got anything to do with anything? Oh, she was burnt up, for one. That might have led them to believe I had something to do with that. Detectives also tell Quincy they believe his belt was used to kill Jessica Kerr. And I can tell you your belt's around her neck. Oh, well, I ain't do it. Your belt, her neck, it's there, dude. Hey, I'll believe it's mine. I'm telling you, you come up and say, yeah, it's your okay if it's mine, convict me. After the interview, Quincy is free to leave. The state police continue investigating and so does Susan Galbraith. The gas, the belt, and his demeanor. The night Jessica went missing, these three things made citizen investigator Susan Galbraith hone in on Quincy. She just needed to figure out how, why, and with whom. Quincy came from out of town to this party at Chris Drive. So when Susan Galbraith starts her own citizen investigation, she finds that at this party at Criss Drive, there were two white boys, one of which turns out to be be Jeff Burton. They were saying that I was seen at a party. A lot of times people have, like, little house parties and stuff, and I'm a teenager, so I'm liable to pop in and pop out, you know, who knows? So Susan decides She's gonna make a MySpace. MySpace is the. Before Facebook, it was a social media platform that people used to communicate and meet each other on. If anybody had any information, she was trying to collect it to turn that over to the police. The police had not spoken with Jeffrey Burton. When Susan Galbraith posts his name, among others, and what she labeled as a person of interest list on that MySpace page, she would describe that list later in court. I didn't say they did it. It was just. I just had person of interest, but it didn't say they did any. I could have been interested in what kind of shoes they wear. A friend of mine had called me and he's like, you might want to get on MySpace. They're talking about your name in connection with the murder of Jessica Curran. And I'm like, what in the world? You know, this makes no sense. So I'm kind of freaking out and I call my mom and call my uncle. When Susan Galbraith lists on MySpace that your nephew Jeffrey Burton is a key person of interest, what goes through your mind? I couldn't believe it. This don't make sense at all. These aren't people that are hung around. Nothing like that at all. A new story about what happened to Jessica emerges. She hit her with a bat. She unconscious. Involving a surprising number of new suspects. They tried to make it like I was the one that struck the match and I threw it on her. I kept telling him, I. I don't know anything. This was the beginning of the end for me. Were you in fact involved in that killing? What kind of man would let this happen to his family? Inspired by shocking actual events, I'm working on a story about the Murdochs. Their abuses of power are playing out in in real time. Starring Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette and Jason Clark. It's only cheating if you get caught. Hulu Original Series Murdoch Death in the Family. New episodes Wednesdays on Hulu and Hulu on Disney plus for bundle subscribers. Terms apply. Introducing the new ESPN Fox One Bundle. Unlock all of ESPN and all of Fox one with one unbeatable price. Catch the biggest games. College football, NBA, NBA, NHL and more on espn. Stream your faves. Big Noon Saturday. The World Series and NASCAR on Fox One, all for just 39.99amonth. That's 20% off the ESPN Fox One bundle offer. Valid for eligible subscribers only. Access content from each service separately. Savings compared to purchasing both plans separately. See stream.espn.com for complete terms and conditions. So where are we here? So this is Jeff Burton's house. This is a house where they took Jessica to. He was allegedly killed. A friend of mine had called me talking about your name in connection with the murder of Jessica Curran. And I'm like, what in the world? You know, this makes no sense. I did not know her or anything, man. I mean, you might have got some people to write some statements against me, saying whatever. I don't. I don't understand, man. Jeffrey, what does it feel like to be back here? Honestly, it kind of makes my nerves a little. Little shaky. You want to go charged with murder, or now you tell me which way you want to go with? I didn't do nothing. I didn't do nothing. We know what happened. No, you think you know what happened. He's an innocent man and spent all this time in prison. There's nothing physical that puts him there. There's no DNA. And you told the jury that Jessica was strangled with a belt. Yes. Victoria's story has now changed. How much of what you testified under oath was true? None of it was true. Zero. The tornado ripped through this town and destroyed Mayfield. What it did to people was so similar to the tornado of Jessica's death that came into this town. Police don't know how long the body has been here or even if the crime happened here. I didn't hear anything. I didn't see anything. Very spooky. So she was. She walks off into the darkness and that's the last you hear of her? Yes. She comes straight ahead down that road and down that hill. So many people were embroiled in this. They had dropped the case on the two main guys. We got a case here that's went for years and nobody had done anything. And we wanted to see, you know, something done. With seemingly little movement in the case, the Curran family organizes marches and the story makes headlines. But Reverend Sharpton's National Action Network plans to make Jessica Curran's murder a national concern. Around that same time, Susan Galbraith had started working with the state police. We know exactly who killed Jessica Curran. There's a lot of people that are feeling comfortable right now because they think they've got away with it, but they haven't. What do you think of Susan Galbraith? Just down this street is Mayfield Middle School, where Jessica's body was found three days after she was last seen. And just up the street, Susan Galbraith, that citizen sleuth, found a house she strongly believed was connected to Jessica murder. It was the home of Jeff Burton in the year 2000. I was 20 years old. I Just had a little daughter that February. A lot of the time I spent smoking, drinking, just being young, probably kind of wild a little bit. So where are we here? So this is Jeff Burton's house. This is where it used to be, and it has since been demolished. Why did Susan Galbraith want to come here? Susan kind of honed in on Jeff. She saw that there were two white boys at this party, and that's how she got Jeff's name. And from there she realized his house, how close it is to the middle school. In fact, she wrote about it in an email. She did. As I walked around the house, I saw a garage. It was so eerie. Felt as though time stood still. I crept over to the door and was overwhelmed with a feeling of dread. I didn't go in for fear of tainting the scene. I was so excited. I knew I had finally found where they had Jessica. Susan would share her impressions of the visit with investigators from a third, third agency that's now leading the investigation. I had gotten in touch with the Attorney General and he said, I'm going to put somebody on that case. And then he sent down the kbi. The Kentucky Bureau of Investigations was the law enforcement arm of the Kentucky Attorney General's office. The two investigators were Lee Wise and Robert o'. Neill. At the ag, My main function was in the drug unit. I was brought into the case mainly because of my ability to do investigations. And part of it was that the director, David James, felt like that Afro American black person would probably have better inroads into getting people to come forth and talk. These agents had not worked homicide cases, and these two agents are now working this homicide. The one person that was instrumental in ultimately helping out on the case, Susan Galbraith, who was just a lady that was in the community that kind of took the weight of this case, and she really wanted to see something done on it. She was on the Internet and ultimately she got in contact with Victoria. Susan was convinced Victoria was the key to cracking the case. What were your interactions like with Susan Galbraith? She would text me on MySpace and try to communicate with me, asking things like, what about Jessica Kern? Or if I really knew anything. Victoria read one of her messages to Susan in a BBC radio program reporting on the case. I am afraid for my life. I'm sorry about what happened. I will help the police as much as I can, but I really don't know who to trust. You ultimately decide to talk to the KBI to come forward with them. I told them a different story. This interview Is being conducted at the Radisson Inn, Santa Maria, California. Victoria turned out to be Susan's missing puzzle piece. She would not only point the finger at Quincy, but at many others, including her own family. Quincy and Tamara and this white guy had pulled up to my house. You said you remember this first night? Yeah. It was Jeffrey. And my cousin asked me if I wanted to take a ride with him. And I was like, yeah. We got right back to the same area of the. The middle school area. They picked up Anisha, and then Victoria says they go pick up Jessica. Jessica gets into the car. What? She got up front in the middle and. In the middle of who? In the middle of Quincy and Tamara. As we were driving, I remember Quincy was over on one side of her, like, and Tamara was rubbing on the other side. And she kept pushing their hands away. So I remember Quincy got mad when we got to the white guy's house. They had pulled Jessica to get out the car with them, kind of like forcing her. And they go inside, and then they go into this bedroom. And I heard yelling. Excuse me. So I was wondering what the hell was going on. And so I opened the door, and that's when I heard. I seen Tamara holding Jessica down and Quincy over her with the belt around her neck. I touched her neck and I told him that she was dead. I think once he lifted the head and the white guy looked at the feet, and I believe Tamara put the blanket up under her to wrap her body in it. And after the wrapper, they took her out of the house, put it in the back of the car. And we all got into the car. And Quincy stops to get gas. He got a cup, and he put the gas in the cup. And he gets back in the car. And that's when we ended up back at the middle school. I remember they had laid the body down. Quincy threw the gas on her. I need to do the match. And what happens after that? The dominoes start falling. Y' all killed it, right? You wanna go charged with murder. I didn't do nothing. No, that's lies, man. Today's date is February 25th. We're in the city of Mayfield, Kentucky. Present in the vehicle is Victoria Caldwell. A few days after Victoria tells the KBI how she says Jessica was murdered, agents take her back to Mayfield to the alleged crime scene. This is a house where they took Jessica to. She was allegedly killed. But all that's left there is a concrete slab, and no evidence is found. This would be where Jeff Burton resided. The crime scene went from the middle School. This is now the crime scene. The day after that ride along. Victoria is taken to the Attorney General's office where she provides a videotaped statement. We're conducting a videotaped interview of Victoria Caldwell. We stopped at the white guy's house. Had you ever been in that house before? Yes. What were you doing over at his house? My sister used to mess with which one? Rosie. Victoria says she knew Jeffrey's house because she says her sister Rosie was. Was seeing Jeffrey at one point. Then Victoria gives authorities a different version of what she says happens in the car and how Jessica is taken inside the house. Quincy. She hit her with a bat in her head. A bat? Kind of bat. Like a little bat. Where'd he hit it? I can't. But she's. What did she do? She went unconscious. Huh? She went unconscious. In one of the versions of the story, Jessica is hit in the car with what looks like a souvenir baseball bat. She is unconscious and carried inside. Victoria added that Jessyca was not only killed, but she says multiple people, including herself, also sexually assaulted her. It's also questionable whether she was dead. Dead or not. When sexual activities were happening, what exactly happened when and who did what. Finally, Victoria alleges a shocking motive that points the finger at the former assistant chief of the Mayfield Police Department. Ronnie Learned cell phone who's talking? She just kept saying it's taken care of. That's why everyone wants. He said is taking care. I want to know why this occurring. If he heard that night, do you know she was going to tell about his wife. That for the sleeping together. Lear tells the KBI what he'd earlier told the state police that he simply did not know Jessica. I never knew who the girl was. Never seen her fool in my life. I mean, they showed me a picture. I didn't have a clue who Jessica Kern was. Lear also adds he didn't know cross and actually considered him the number one suspect. We looked at Ronnie Lear, but as far as him being active in the murder, we had no information as related to that. We took all the evidence we had put it all together and we sat down with the special Prosecutions unit at the Attorney General's office. That's how it all came together as we were ready to go forward with the indictments. So we started bringing people in and talking to them. Just 30 minutes north of Mayfield is the Drury Inn and Suites in Paducah, Kentucky. This low key hotel's conference room becomes ground zero for intense questioning by the kbi, the Kentucky Bureau of Investigation. Jeffrey, what does it feel like to be back here? Honestly? Kentucky of makes my nerves a little shaky again. Of course, it brings back one of the worst days of my life. It affects you even now? Yes. Yes, sir. Why? Well, just because. I mean, this was the beginning of the end for me, so to speak. Today is Friday, March 23rd. We're here conducting an interview with Jeffrey Burkin. Jeffrey's house was the location where they brought Jessica Kern's body. That's where bad things happened to her. The same people are going to stand across from you and point at you and say, it's his house. You can look as confused. I'm just gonna. It's more concerning. That's not concern. That's fear. It has a. If that's the case, you might as well take me to jail now, because I did not know her or anything, man. I mean, you might have got some people to write some statements against me, saying whatever. I don't. I don't understand, man. I'm freaking out. You know what I mean? I'm really on the inside, you know, freaking out. I know I didn't rape anybody, and nobody was murdered around me. Anytime. Let me tell you something, Jenna. Anytime. Remember, Victoria says she knew Jeffrey's house because she'd been there with her sister, Rosie. Jeffrey tried to deny that he knew Rosie or that he knew Victoria. Step right up. Right up here. You ever seen this gentleman before? She was already there, so we thought we'd just bring her in. Didn't we go to school together? We never had sex. What he's saying. And I didn't ever call, and we never went together. No. Hey, hey, come on, now. You know that's a lie. I didn't even know her. So to have her in front of me, and she's kind of looking at them and then looking back at me. When was the last time that you were contacted by Jeff Burton? Two months ago. Two months ago. Two months ago. Go ahead. Take me to jail. So I'm just like, man, just. If you're gonna take me to jail, just take me to jail. You know what I mean? I was just over it. The truth is gonna come out. What's done in the dark, ultimately, it's gonna come to the light. That's it. And then you're arrested. Just stand up. You're under arrest for murder. You got to go. What was it like to be let out of that hotel room in handcuffs? Just surreal. Like, I couldn't believe it was happening. It felt like a nightmare. It was like there's no way this is real. There's no way. But it was real. Real. Jeffrey is arrested for multiple charges, including murder, kidnapping, and rape, and is carted off passing Tamara Caldwell as she enters the room. It was draining. I didn't do nothing. And now Quincy Cross is in the hot seat. You said Jeff Burton, you say you don't know. How can a person lie on you? That you don't know, man. Look, you figure that out. That's for you. You investigated. You figured that out. I was down in the cruiser for, like, hours. The first time I went up to the room, it was probably one o' clock in the morning. The detectives questioned Tamara Caldwell about knowing Jeffrey. Did you know the guy just walked out of here? Never seen him before. Please don't ask the one just. That was just in this chair. No, I don't. I promise I don't know. No, I don't know nothing. He wasn't with him tonight. Jessica was Murphy. No, I was not. I didn't hang out with Jeffrey Burton. I knew him from school. That's it. Those interviews were brutal. It was draining because I kept telling them, I. I don't know anything. Leave me alone. I don't know anything. You want to go charged with murder or you want to just be charged with being there and sexually molesting that girl? Now you tell me which way you want to go with. I didn't do. I didn't do nothing. Think about it. I'm thinking about it. Y' all promise I can do nothing? I don't know nothing about this. I don't know nothing about it. I was at home when this happened. The detectives hammer home that they believe Tamara and Quincy were the ringleaders of this crime. Cue murder. Jessica, it's up to you whether you go to jail on a charge that you can get out on or whether you go on murder, but you go. So we get giving you the opportunity. You the captain right along with Quincy. I don't know nothing about this. All I know is I met him in jail. How could I have had anything to do with it? And this happened in 2000. I didn't know Quincy Cross until 2002, so how could I have anything to do with it, period? How did I get brought into this, period? Tamara says she he and Quincy parted ways in 2005. You know, with them being charged together, obviously they want to make as much distance between themselves as they can. Both Tamara and Quincy are being charged with murder, kidnapping, and rape. At the time, Quincy was 30 years old. Born and raised in Tennessee and from a big family he'd been in trouble with before with the law. Quincy Cross was involved in narcotics and drugs, that's verified. He's known as drug dealer. We come from a close knit family. Quincy is my protective big brother. He was fun, he was definitely outspoken, but he also was nurturing. He didn't meet many strangers because he was funny. He was a jokester. We're here to conduct this interview with Quincy Cross, who is currently present with us. We interviewed him for probably two hours. We know what happened. No, you think you know what happened. Okay, all right. We might have missed the point. We might have missed the point here, but we know what happened. If you know what. Not your plan. We're giving you a chance to come clean. Ain't no need to come clean when you already know. We're giving you a chance to have peace with what I want. What PC is. I don't want to have it, cuz I ain't got nothing to do with it. You said Jeff Burton, you say you don't know. How can a person lie on you that you don't know? You. You investigated, you took. I have to ask you, did you kill Jessica Curran? No, I did not kill Jessica Kern or have anything to do with killing Jessica Kern or knew anybody that killed Jessica Kern. Did you rape Jessica Kern? Oh, I did not kill Jessica. I did not rape Jessica. I didn't. I didn't even know Jessica. Let's get that in line. I never knew Jessica. Were you involved in any way with Jessica's murder? No, I was. No, I was not. Anyway, no kind of way. Were you in the car with Venetia the night Jessica was murdered? I didn't even know Venetia yet. According to the KBI police, Venetia is just one of several eyewitnesses who places Quincy at the center of this case. The story that we got from Victoria and the story that we got from Venetia was consistent in a lot of areas. Venetia, what was happening? They were scuffling. Quincy and Jessica and who? Tam? What's Champ doing? He was walking in the house behind me in Victoria Venetia. She was another hard interview because she was very emotional. I have adhd and then I have a comprehension disorder. And it's like a lot of things, it's hard for me to comprehend. After almost five hours of interrogation, Venetia admits. Admits that she was there the night Jessica was killed. Look at her. You know that Jessica was returning home, right? Because she was what Naked. She was dead. Y' all killed her, right? But you two, you know, slow in the mind. You can't remember nothing else, right or wrong. I was thinking, who brought that car over there? Quincy, you just talking. He's confusing me. I asked you. I asked you what happened to the. To the jester in that car. You know, it seems like she was trying to remember what happened, that she was kind of befuddled. What you do to the body? Took it and move it to a different spot. Where'd you move it in? Behind the scene. Victoria and Venetia are charged with evidence tampering and abuse of a corpse. They both pleaded guilty. Venetia and Victoria will testify against the others. Being locked up behind bars. It took, like, a big toll on me. Despite their repeated denials and a lack of forensic evidence, Quincy, Jeffrey and Tamara head to trial, their lives in the balance and a wrench thrown into the case. A weapon prosecutor said was buried in a backyard. How do you know that? This is the same pool that was used to hit Jessup. This season on the Kardashians. Let's do it. I'm shooting a TV show with the most amazing cast. I have my podcast. I think I might move back to New York. I heard footsteps walk into my room. What happening? Don't you want to see all the craziness? I'm freaking out. Some familiar faces are back. Is Bob here? It's good tv. The new season of the Kardashians. Now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney plus for bundle subscribers terms apply. 20th Century Studios presents Springsteen Witness A True Story of Risking It. All these new songs, they're the only thing making sense to me right now. To fight for what you believe in. This is not any good for Bruce. I don't need to be perfect. I just want it to feel right. Springsteen Rady PG13 parental guidance suggested for children under 13. Now playing only in theaters. The motive for Jessica Kern's murder is still unclear at this time. The connection between the three people arrested for her murder has not been confirmed either. They were going to try me, Quincy and Tamra together. And then they separated it to where they did. Quincy by itself. Hundreds of potential jurors showed up today. Quincy Omar Cross sat in court with his attorneys. The Curran family prayed before the trial began. The trial is moved from Graves county to Hickman county because. Because of all of the media attention and how big this case was. The Jessica Curran murder trial began early this morning here in Clinton, Kentucky, which allowed the prosecution to get right into Laying their case against Quincy Omar Cross, Jessica Curran was sexually assaulted and brutally murdered by the defendant. And I will ask you to find the defendant, Quincy Omar Cross, guilty. Over the course of the next week, in a trial captured on sometimes grainy VHS tape, the prosecution calls more than 30 witnesses, starting with Jessica's family. Recognize that as Jessica's shoe? Yes, ma'. Am. Yes, these are hers. People who are at the Chris Drive party testify about seeing Quincy wave his belt around and talk about wanting to go find girls. I remember his swinging at night. Quincy's defense points out that many people wore a similar belt. A common belt? Yes, sir. Common belt back then? Yes, sir, I suppose. Other witnesses testify that Quincy Cross told them he was involved in Jessica's death. And he's like, will you tell on me for killing that girl? She overheard something that she wasn't supposed to hear, and we had to take care of that. We kind of brushed him off because we thought, he's always talking big. He said, I. Which is Quincy Cross killed Jessica Kern. And he said, if y' all say anything that I'm gonna do you the same way I did her. Quincy Cross would just kind of sit there in the courtroom like he wasn't really worried about it, and he wasn't scared or nothing. He's just relaxed. Jessica's cousin Venetia, who initially said Jessica had walked home, now testifies that she, Quincy, and others went to Jeffrey's house that night. Jessica went in at the house? Yes, ma'. Am. How did she get in the house? He might have walked in there. Venisha says that Quincy led Jessica inside and killed her. Who killed Jessica Curran? Quincy Cross. How did he do that? When I seen him, he was standing over with a belt in his hand around her neck. But the star witness for the prosecution is Victoria Caldwell, who has been at the center of the case since the beginning. Doris Victoria Caldwell. Were you nervous? Yes, I was very nervous. Victoria testifies over several days, saying that after they picked up Jessica, Quincy knocked Jessica unconscious in the car in the driveway of Jeffrey Burton's home. In our car, Quincy carry Jessica's body to the side, the side door. You told the jury that Jessica was strangled with a. Yes, she just kept pulling and pulling and pulling on it. He could, like, hear, like, gasping for air. It was hard for me to believe that they could have been that cold and callous. Then Victoria changes her story now saying Quincy Cross struck Jessica twice. Once with a bat, second time with a ratchet wrench. That's the tool that was used. It's a long tool and in the middle has like a little knob that makes that clicking noise. Law enforcement officers say they find the object buried in Victoria's sister's yard. How do you know that this is the same tool that was used to hit Jesse? Because I'm the one who buried it. Nobody mentioned the clicking ratchet until after it was found. They were always saying metal vat until the ratchet was was found. Then all of a sudden, two days later is the first mention of a metal ratchet with clicking sound. Isn't that amazing? There are glaring inconsistencies in Victoria and Venetia's statements. Like Venetia cannot confidently say if Quincy, Jeff or Tamra struck Jessica with any object. When we look at the dote tally of this case, we have independent talking to Victoria is consistent with the important areas of what Venetia said. We're going to mainly look at the credibility of Victoria and Venetia, and there's no way they both can be telling the truth. They both admitted that they lied to the commonwealth all the way up to the very end. The defense strategy was to question the credibility of everything from the circumstantial evidence to the prosecution's witness testimony. You always felt the case. No. You told the police that Jessica was murdered because she was going to tell Ronnie Lear's wife that he was sleeping with her. Right? I guess that was a lie too, was it not? Yes. There is no physical evidence that connects Quincy to Jessica to that crime scene at the middle school. When I spoke to Quincy on the phone, I asked him about Jessica's murder. Why would Victoria and Venetia point the finger at you? Okay. I'd never knew Victoria. I never knew Vanessa at the time. So I knew he was lying. Anyway, the verdict is next. And what happens to those co defendants? They're going to do the same thing to me over a lie. How the hell is this happening? And what those witnesses at the trial told me about their testimony. You're now saying that what you testified to in court was a lie. On the day that the verdict came, I remember being outside with some family. We thought on a capital murder case it would take a while, but it took very little time. We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of murder under instruction number seven. The jury deliberated only three hours and came back with a guilty verdict. My whole family was devastated. How is this real? Like, is this actually happening? What went through your mind when you heard the word guilty? It was heartbreaking to be. To be that person, for one. And for the world to see that of me and for the people that believe that. Oh, man, that took me down to a dark place right there. I was glad to see somebody, you know, get punishment for it. I told them I didn't want to have a death penalty. I could do life without the possibility of parole, but I wouldn't do a death penalty. After Quincy was convicted, everyone else who was going up for trial was terrified. Well, certainly we were concerned after that guilty verdict. At first, I'm ready, gung ho ready. And now I'm just like, they're gonna do the same thing to me over a lie. How the hell does this happen? I was like, they're gonna kill me. Now. What is going on? They convict him, they definitely gonna convict us. Jeffrey and Tamara took plea deals for the lesser charge of manslaughter and the abuse of a corpse. Jeff and Tamara both took what is called an Alford plea. And it's basically saying, I'm telling you I didn't do this, but I'm acknowledging that the state has enough evidence to convict me. And I didn't know that they look at it as a guilty plea, but I'm scared to death what they've done to Quincy over a lie. So I'm like, man, they're gonna do the same thing to me. So I did, like, seven years. I took the Alpha plea because my public defender said that I wouldn't get much time. I got 15 years, but I served five years, eight months, and two days. No, it was awful. I had to quit my job to take care of my daughter's kids. They asked for mama every day. So when Jeff took that plea, he agreed to be a convicted felon. Everything kind of fell apart after that. The unthinkable thing happens to you, and then, you know, people that don't know. You think you're a murderer, you killed somebody. Jeffrey's oldest daughter, Shila, was just seven years old when he went to prison. This is you visiting him in prison? That's probably right after it happened. I was about, I would say, eight or nine in that one. And still just trying to enjoy the moments. Did anybody tell you why he was there? No one told me specifically what had happened. But over the years, I heard stuff, figured stuff out. And as I've gotten older, I totally get it. He's an innocent man, and so spent all this time in prison. Did you ever wonder, maybe my dad did do this? Never. Never? No. Why not? That's my dad. I know him, and he wouldn't hurt a fly for years, Quincy tried appealing his conviction to no avail. But he's now gained an army of advocates. It's a very strong, supportive group of people who will not take no for an answer. I just believe in giving a voice to the voiceless. My goal is to get Quincy Cross out. He doesn't have a piece of evidence that links him toward anything, but I know in my heart that he's innocent because there's nothing physical that puts him there. There's no DNA. Quincy's supporters have worked to garner attention for his cause. It was very exciting for me to be told that there was a podcast that was going to be done. There is a new six part podcast, Bone Valley Season 3, Graves county, which explores the Jessica Curran case. This is Graves County, Chapter six. Something rotten. Now, more than two decades after the murder of Jessica Curran, the Kentucky Innocence Project has taken on Quincy's case. There were a lot of markers of potential wrongful conviction. We believe we have the evidence to exonerate him and walk him out of prison. So that's our goal. The Kentucky Innocence Project had their work cut out for them. It's very hard to get a conviction overturned in the state of Kentucky or in most of the country, really. One of the many hurdles is that Quincy's attorneys have to present new evidence that points to his innocence. They have filed a motion to vacate his conviction that includes new claims about those key witnesses at the trial. Dinesha Stubblefield and Victoria Caldwell in particular have said that they lied at the trial. You're now saying that that story, that what you testified to in court was a lie? Yes. I didn't know nothing of that case. I didn't even know nothing about the murder, even though. So why did you say that? Because that. I was forced to say it. That's the thing. What did you say at the trial? I was forced to say that Quincy Cross took part in it. I was forced to say that Jeffrey Burton and Tamara Caldwell had part in it, knowing that they didn't. Were you in fact involved in that killing? No, not at all. How much of what you testified under oath was true and how much was not? None of it was true. Zero. Zero. Nothing was true. I don't know nothing about this case. I wasn't there. I don't know. All the people you testified about disturbing sexual acts involving Jessica's body, did those take place? No, not at all. Like I said, I wasn't there. I don't know anything at all. But if I never had happened, why provide such graphic detail? Because they told me what to say in response to the motion. The state denies that witnesses were pressured to fabricate their stories or told what to say. They also point to this affidavit from 2016 where Victoria refutes that she lied at trial or was told to say something that wasn't. We never tried to get anybody to say anything that was not true. Well, there is this thing called evidence. Justice and juries. And they weighed all the evidence, and Quincy's in prison. There's only been one conspiracy, and that's a conspiracy to kill Jessica Kern and to try to get away with it. The state stands by Quincy's conviction. It argues that Victoria and Venetia's many lies to investigators were brought up at the trial and that a jury still convicted him. Why should we believe you now after all the lies you told? I feel like I should believe because people who really know me know that I'm a genuine person. I would never put innocent people away. I would never do it. Has anyone paid you or pressured you? No, not at all. You're doing this because I'm tired, and I think it's time for the truth to come out. What would you say to them? I would apologize to them, and I would tell them how sorry I am for them to get convicted. But truly and honestly, from the bottom of my heart, I hope that each and every one of y' all can forgive me. Can you forgive them? Most definitely I can forgive them. I already forgave them. Now it all comes down to this. A court date just hours ago for a hearing that may lead to a new trial for Quincy. And I have an interest in the truth coming out. All right, Kipp file room. I think it's probably in one of these working files. Yep. Here's the KBI investigation. We are preparing to present all of the new evidence, the mountain of new evidence, all of the different pieces that we have uncovered since trial that is new that we believe a jury should have heard. It's different, right? It all comes down to this hearing in this makeshift courthouse. It's a big deal. And for a long time, we didn't have no voice. The Innocence Project making their case for Quincy to get a new trial. This could be your last chance. Hey, that's all right. Sometimes we dip cars that we got to play, you know? But I know that I've done no wrong. I am anxious. I'm hoping for the best. There is a lot on the line today. It just potentially could free us, so to speak. All rise. Multiple witnesses and co Defendants gave perjured testimony that they have now recanted. And the now recanted statement is the only evidence that ever linked Mr. Cross to this crime. I would just refer the court to the case law that recanted testimony after trial is viewed with distrust. I know I'm going to have an evidentiary hearing. I'm going to focus only on the recantations of Venetia Stubblefield, Victoria Clark Caldwell. A major victory for Quincy and his supporters. We are very pleased with the judge's decision. We look forward to being able to put on the evidence in support of Quincy's innocence at the hearing. Witnesses like Venetia and Victoria will be heard in person to tell their stories to the court. Also, what happened in the courtroom, as the judge said, you know, if they get back up on the stand and say we lied, that's perjury. So that's a huge consideration for them. And just outside the court, Jeff Burton on his knees, pleading with Venetia. And I'm so, so sorry. And Venetia said, you know, they ruined my life, too. I will do the right thing. I always said that through all of this, something good has got to come out of it. You know each other? Yes, sir. We know each other. How you doing? Quincy's dad has an unlikely ally joining him in this fight. This is very unusual. The father of the victim and the father of the man convicted of killing her, joining forces, trying to get answers. Everybody thinks that this is an odd couple. We not an odd couple. Cause we want the same thing. He wants justice for his daughter. I want justice for my son. I just don't think he could do the stuff that was done. Tragedy brought you together. Tragedy brought us together. And it's gonna keep us together until we get what we need. Justice. I can't say I feel his pain, but I know he feels my pain. And I feel some of his pain. Do I think that Joe can find some comfort in knowing he helped Quincy, I think is the most that he can get. We've served to do it long, long time. And we just don't feel like we have a completion. Justice for Jessica would be finding the real people that murdered her. Sometimes I do believe she's guiding me. I do believe that she want me to stay on the case all the way to the end, till the truth comes out. My promise to her is I won't ever stop. I don't quit. That's our program for tonight. Thanks so much for watching. I'm Deborah Roberts. And I'm David Muir from all of us here at 2020 in ABC News, good night. From your fryer to the table. 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