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Amy Robach
Guaranteed human on December 19. Based on the best selling novel the Housemaid, Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney star in a wildly entertaining thriller about a live in housemaid and the wealthy Winchester family.
TJ Holmes
The Housemaid is a twisted world where perfection is an illusion and nothing is as it seems. The shocking twist will leave you guessing until the very end. Can you keep a secret?
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The Housemaid Rated R. Only in theaters December 19th. Get tickets. Now you're juggling a lot. Full time job, side hustle, maybe a family. And now you're thinking about grad school. That's not crazy, that's ambitious. At American Public University they respect the Hustle and they're built for it. Their flexible online master's programs are made for real life because big dreams deserve a real path. Learn more about APU's 40 plus career relevant master's degrees and certificates at APU APUS. Edu APU built for the Hustle this.
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Amy Robach
Hey there, everybody. It is Sunday, December 7th, and one of the largest monetary awards ever given for a wrongful conviction case happened in the United States just in the past few weeks. And it was awarded, unfortunately, posthumously. Is justice still served? If it served after death? That's a question. But 80 million people dollars was awarded to the estate of Darrell Boyd. That's not necessarily a household name, babe. Darrell Boyd. But he was one of the Buffalo Five.
TJ Holmes
And even that, I think a lot of people might not know that name, that story, that history of what happened with his story. But, but we mentioned this Darrell Boyd. And yes. Welcome everybody, to this episode of Amy and tj.
This has been a story. I don't know what this is. A question of justice. What does justice look like? A life was taken from this man who ended up on hard times and he should not be dead right now. By all accounts, by most accounts these days, was still a young man. This is a weird, weird. Yes, I'm gonna go with that weird story where we have a conflict of what justice looks like.
How do you make amends? This is a guy who finally got what he's been fighting for, but never saw it ultimately come to pass.
Amy Robach
He fought for it for every last moment of his life. And perhaps maybe the silver lining was it was a sweet moment to know that his family members were there and in the trial for every single day. As his proxy, his mother and his son attended this trial. We are talking about Darrell Boyd, one of the Buffalo Five. And if you don't know who the Buffalo Five was, I was not familiar with this case. I had to look it up. But these were at the time, five black young men, boys who were wrongfully accused back in 1976 of robbing and killing a 62 year old white man named William Crawford inside his home. So Darrell Boyd was among this group of young men who were wrongfully accused. And if you look and see what happened to Darrell Boyd back in 1976, he had a two and a half week trial and the jury took just one hour to convict him. And he spent decades in prison. He was eventually released in 1999, but his conviction wasn't vacated until 2021. And the really, really, really sad part of this story is he didn't live to see justice. He didn't live to see that verdict where he was not only exonerated, but compensated by $80 million. That is one of the largest decisions ever. Or basically financial.
TJ Holmes
Don't they argue? Don't they argue? His attorney Say this is the. Some will tell you this is the largest ever award given to someone who is wrongly wrongfully convicted. Correct? Correct.
Amy Robach
Correct. And so this is a huge historic case. And it's only. Well, there's a lot of reasons why this is a sad story with maybe somewhat of a happy ending, but it just so sad that he died of pancreatic cancer. He died in February of this past year, February 26, 2025, while he was fighting to clear his name and to get some sort of justice. And I love, though, I love that his mother and that his son were there every single day of that trial.
TJ Holmes
How old was he? These were young guys. They were teenagers when this was happening.
Amy Robach
They were teenagers when they were wrongfully.
TJ Holmes
Convicted 50 years ago. So these were still guys in their early 60s for the most part. Right. Early mid-60s. And out of the buffalo five, is there. There's one or two left. Do I have that right? This is kind of a complicated story to a certain degree, but these guys really did, because of what happened, they fell on some really hard times even though they finally got these conviction. And. And don't I have it right? Robes the pro. The state essentially wants to continue to point out convictions were vacated. They were never exonerated in court. No one in court ever said you're not guilty. No one ever threw out in that way in saying you didn't do that. They still tried to hold on to some way and they were still fighting for, I guess, actual exoneration. Do I have that right?
Amy Robach
Don't we see this all the time, though? Because the state, the prosecutors, there's a lot of reasons why people don't want to admit to any sort of prosecutorial misconduct. Namely, it's probably ego.
TJ Holmes
But also we just said we got it wrong.
Amy Robach
Yeah. No one wants to admit that from a political or just egotistical standpoint, but also from a financial one as well. Because once you admit that someone did something wrong to another, yeah, there is a financial repercussion, but. But I love for me the fact that this was a two and a half week trial and it took the jury one hour, one hour to give the estate of Darrell Boyd $80 million. That sends a huge message. And just to know that it took them, babe, one hour to give that award. That award is telling.
TJ Holmes
I mean, that it sends a message. Yes. Are they ever going to see that money? No, I don't think it was the point necessarily of being in court. But how do you write this kind of wrong? How can you ever, ever. We should never make a mistake like this. They took these guys lives who couldn't find jobs, who fell on hard times, who had kinds of alcohol, drug abuse problems in their lives they couldn't.
Back that were taken from them as teenagers. We. This cannot, it should never happen. It sounds crazy that you would. I would rather see a guilty man go free than an innocent man be put in jail. We shouldn't have to make that kind of decision. But damn, you cannot do this to people. And, and he's dead now because of what the state did to him. I will absolutely state this. Who knows what his life would have looked like. Oh, and could have been.
Amy Robach
You think about. So he dies of pancreatic cancer. And look.
Anyone who has had cancer, you start to wonder why. Why me? How did this happen to me? Especially when you don't have family history and.
Any doctor will tell you. Stress, stress, emotional stress. The toll that takes on your body is palpable. It is document like you can document it. It is like there. I think that that would be a very fair connection to make between the unbelievable stress this man and this teenager faced. Yes, it cut his life short. I think that is a very fair deduction to make based on what you see this man, what he went through to be wrongfully convicted as a teenager, as a Black teenager in 1976 being accused of robbing and killing a white man in Buffalo.
TJ Holmes
And again Buffalo has a history of racial strife. Let's. It certainly does throw that out there. This is Buffalo in 1976. So maybe you like. Okay, some people in this area will go, yes, that, that, that actually reads for Buffalo at that time. But this was specific. Was this misdeeds, misdeeds of prosecutors in withholding evidence is why these young fellas ended up having decades of their lives taken away from them. That just cannot happen. So yes, you applaud, you're happy to see. But is this 80 million ever going to get seen? No. They sued. What? This was the county?
Amy Robach
Yes.
TJ Holmes
Was it not this time? They already. Some of them already got what, 4.7 million from the city of Buffalo. So, so some money has been paid. Can you ever make up for it? No, not really. What does this mean? What do we do? If nothing else, I hope this gets us to pay attention more and more to our criminal justice system.
Amy Robach
Yes. And we've been talking about, we have been covering and we will continue to do so our execution schedule in this country. And look, you can feel how you feel about the death penalty, but this is one of those cases where okay, these young men were not given the death penalty, actually, shockingly. But it's New York, so that's why. But imagine if this were a death penalty case. You cannot undo an execution. And you do see the disparity, the unfair.
Group of people who are put on death row. It is undeniable. And so you see a case like this, where there is actual proof that prosecutors and investigators acted illegally. Like that is the best way to describe it. So we saw, and I just think about the fight that this man had, Darrell Boyd had for his entire life. But he ultimately filed a lawsuit in 2022. And here is what the allegations were that the jury bought and the jury sent a very telling verdict about. Prosecutors did not disclose more than a dozen pieces of evidence in this case that pointed to other suspects. A dozen pieces of evidence. They also can prove that investigators coerced witnesses to give false statements. We see this all the time. Time. Jailhouse informants, eyewitnesses. The worst kind of evidence you could possibly. Notoriously, historically, it's been proven are just not reliable. And yet, time and time again, how often do we see people's lives hanging in the balance? Their lives are determined by this type of testimony that has been proven to.
TJ Holmes
Be not reliable, including from one of the. The Buffalo five. Only four of the five ended up in prison because one of the five testified against the other four. That one robes, I don't know how soon after these convictions, but certainly now has been screaming from the mountaintops that, no, his. His testimony against the other four was coerced. He did not mean it. And he has recanted essentially everything he said about the other four.
Amy Robach
My goodness. And as we alluded to Erie county, that's Buffalo, they have already said they're going to appeal this judgment. So, of course, yes, the $80 million hanging in the balance, they can't pay it.
TJ Holmes
They literally do not have the money. You can say what you want. They don't have it. They got to figure something else out. But they don't pay. Have 80 million floating around.
Amy Robach
No. And I would say most jurisdictions do not. But the idea is that this sends a message to any community, any county who wants to go ahead and make false claims and build a case on false allegations. I think that's good against someone, and that is important. But we're going to get into what the reaction was from the Boyd family on this verdict, on Erie County's reaction to this verdict and where it goes from here.
On December 19, based on the bestselling novel the Housemaid Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney star in a wildly entertaining and twisted thriller where perfection is an illusion and nothing is as it seems.
TJ Holmes
Trying to escape her past, Millie, played by Sydney Sweeney, accepts a job as a live in housemaid for the wealthy Nina, played by Amanda Seyfried and Andrew Winchester, played by Brandon Sklenar.
Amy Robach
What begins as a dream job quickly unravels into something far more dangerous. A sexy, seductive game of secrets, scandal and power.
TJ Holmes
The Housemaid is full of shocking twists that will leave you guessing until the very end.
Amy Robach
Can you keep a secret? The Housemaid is a theatrical experience you do not want to miss.
TJ Holmes
The Housemaid Rated R. Only in theaters December 19th. Get tickets now.
Amy Robach
You're juggling a lot. Full time job, side Hustle, maybe a family. And now you're thinking about grad school. That's not crazy, that's ambitious. At American Public University, they respect the Hustle and they're built for it. Their flexible online master's programs are made for real life because big dreams deserve a real path. Learn more about APU's 40 plus career relevant master's degrees and certificates at APU APUS. Edu Apu Built for the Hustle 20th.
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Sophie Cunningham
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Amy Robach
Welcome back, everyone. We are talking about one of, if not the largest award ever given in terms of money for a wrongful conviction case in this country, Darrell Boyd. And sadly, we have to say the estate of Darrell Boyd was awarded $80 million by a jury of his peers. They took an hour to come up with his verdict after hearing all of the evidence of what Darrell Boyd had to endure from the time he was a teenager wrongfully accused of murdering a white man back in Gosh in 1976. He, along with three others, because they're called the Buffalo Five. But one of the Buffalo Five was coerced, we now know, into testifying against four other defendants who all paid the price for a crime they did not actually commit. And so it is one of these atrocities and we hear about so many of, unfortunately, these young men being sent to death row. But in a sense, yes, this young man, Darrell Boyd, spent decades in prison and even longer trying to maintain his innocence until posthumously, after he already died from pancreatic cancer. His mother and his son were there when the verdict was read by that jury, saying, you are owed $80 million for what you have suffered because of our supposed justice system. And I wanted to read what Daryl Boyd's reps said about this verdict because it was just, it was heartrending. He lost his whole adult life to this wrongful conviction. The jury heard how many years he was suffering in maximum security prison. All the terrible things you assume happen in prison happened in prison. And they said he would not have spent 45 years asserting his innocence and fighting for his liberty in connection with a crime that he did not commit. It had not been for the misdeeds.
Of prosecutors, police, all the people who were involved in prosecuting him.
TJ Holmes
I mean, his life, the tragedy of his life is directly attributable to the misdeeds, as they say, of the state. And that just, it can Never, ever happen. Your heart goes out to these folks. That 80 million, who knows how it's going to be settled, how it's going to be resolved. I think that the county isn't necessarily arguing that misdeeds were done. It was just a matter of we can't pay this, so we have to appeal this. How do you resolve this? I don't know. But these stories. There is nothing more tragic in our justice system than when someone. Innocent person goes to prison. A guilty person going free is awful. But we cannot ever have this happen.
Amy Robach
And these are the kinds of judgments that make headlines. And that's important because we learn about. This is something. This is a story I did not know about. Did you know about the Buffalo Five?
TJ Holmes
Yes.
Amy Robach
I did not. I will fully admit it's come up again.
TJ Holmes
We had the Buffalo shooting recently at the grocery store. Buffalo has a history. Buffalo just has a history. And these things come up. Yes.
Amy Robach
So for people who aren't and who weren't aware or who weren't around when this was all making headlines, this kind of a jury.
Decision matters. Maybe not for the fact that his family members are actually going to get the $80 million, but it makes enough headlines where we're recognizing the injustice that occurred, the imbalance, and how our justice system works. It's weighted heavily towards those who have money for proper representation, who have the ability to defend themselves, and those who do not. And that is not a fair justice system, Period. So I do think it's interesting to at least read what Erie County. Buffalo is in Erie county, said in reaction to this judgment. And this is telling because you pointed out, TJ they don't have the money. But here is what they said. The county executive said this after the jury's decision. I feel bad for Mr. Boyd, who's since passed, but we, the people of Erie county, have to pay for it. We don't have 80 million just sitting around to pay out. Sometimes I think these juries think, oh, the governments, they have all this money, but each and every one of us pays for it in the long run. We just think the amount of the judgment was excessive. What do you think about that?
TJ Holmes
Yeah, we agree, but we can't pay. I mean, yes, we agree. Wrong was done. This is awful. But those folks now in those roles weren't in those roles 50 years ago. And now they're trying to do right by their citizens and trying to in some way, maybe do right by this man who was done wrong by that government that they now represent. I get it. I don't know the right thing now is to do. But a man is dead. His life was taken.
Not by pancreatic cancer, I would argue. So this is just another tragedy all around that we're trying to find something.
Amy Robach
To learn from, something to learn from. And I think that's the whole point of talking about these cases and the importance of these cases, even when they're long overdue and perhaps never actually received, there is something to that jury's verdict in the honor of Darrell Boyd's name, who he was and more importantly, who he was not. So thank you everyone for listening to us. We certainly appreciate it. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes. Thank you for listening to us as always, and we'll talk to you soon.
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Cal Penn
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Each week we sit down with your favorite iHeart podcast hosts and some very special guests to discuss the latest and greatest audiobooks.
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From Audible, listen to Hearsay on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Irsay and start listening on the free iHeartradio app today.
Ed Helms
What a matchup we got, y'.
TJ Holmes
All.
Ed Helms
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TJ Holmes
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Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present (iHeartPodcasts)
Episode Date: December 7, 2025
In this episode, Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes unravel the recent landmark $80 million jury award in the wrongful conviction case of Darrell Boyd—one of the "Buffalo Five." The award, historic in size and significance, was rendered posthumously, sparking a passionate discussion on justice, racial inequality, prosecutorial misconduct, and the limitations of the U.S. justice system. The podcasters explore whether delayed justice can truly be called justice and examine the far-reaching consequences for Boyd, his family, and the broader community.
"It took the jury one hour, one hour to give the estate of Darrell Boyd $80 million. That sends a huge message." — Amy Robach (08:09)
"This is Buffalo in 1976...misdeeds of prosecutors in withholding evidence is why these young fellas ended up having decades of their lives taken away." — TJ Holmes (10:48)
"They took these guys’ lives who couldn’t find jobs, who fell on hard times, who had all kinds of alcohol, drug abuse problems in their lives." — TJ Holmes (09:21)
"Stress, emotional stress—the toll that takes on your body is palpable...that would be a very fair connection to make" — Amy Robach (10:03)
“He lost his whole adult life to this wrongful conviction...he would not have spent 45 years asserting his innocence...had it not been for the misdeeds of prosecutors, police, all the people who were involved in prosecuting him.” — Amy Robach reading family’s statement (21:10)
“I feel bad for Mr. Boyd, who’s since passed, but we...have to pay for it. We don’t have $80 million just sitting around...” — Erie County Executive (23:45)
“These are the kinds of judgments that make headlines...but it makes enough headlines where we’re recognizing the injustice that occurred, the imbalance, and how our justice system works...that is not a fair justice system. Period.” — Amy Robach (22:42)
“You cannot undo an execution. And you do see the disparity, the unfair group of people who are put on death row. It is undeniable.” — Amy Robach (11:47)
“This has been a story...a question of justice. What does justice look like? A life was taken from this man...he should not be dead right now.” — TJ Holmes (03:52)
“…the fact that this was a two and a half week trial and it took the jury one hour, one hour to give the estate of Darrell Boyd $80 million. That award is telling.” — Amy Robach (08:09)
“No one wants to admit that from a political or just egotistical standpoint, but also from a financial one as well. Because once you admit that someone did something wrong...there is a financial repercussion.” — Amy Robach (08:09)
“How do you write this kind of wrong? ...We should never make a mistake like this. They took these guys’ lives...” — TJ Holmes (08:49)
“If nothing else, I hope this gets us to pay attention more and more to our criminal justice system.” — TJ Holmes (11:47)
“There is something to that jury’s verdict in the honor of Darrell Boyd’s name...who he was and more importantly, who he was not.” — Amy Robach (24:38)
For listeners seeking an in-depth, emotionally resonant dissection of wrongful convictions, systemic bias, and the struggles for justice in America, this episode is both accessible and thought-provoking.