Everything They Missed – Episode 9: "Leverage"

Host: Stephanie Tinsley
Release Date: January 15, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Everything They Missed follows host Stephanie Tinsley as she tracks a seismic development in the cold case of Danny Harris’s 2007 murder in Memphis. Tinsley, with the Harris family and several key players, navigates new evidence, emotional reunions, and the tense negotiation of what could be a confession to the crime. The episode is a mix of raw family moments, the complex process of pursuing justice, and deep questions about trust, leverage, and withholding information.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Emotional Reunions and Long-Awaited Conversations

• [00:24-06:01] The episode begins with Stephanie, her husband Mark, and Elizabeth driving Tamarion (Andrew’s son) to Tennessee’s Northwest Correctional Complex to visit Andrew, who has been incarcerated for nearly two decades. This intimate family visit is the first time Tamarion has seen his father since he was a baby.

  “Andrew comes out… he and Tamarion don't just hug, they collide. He's taller than Andrew, broad shoulders. But Andrew still pulls him in like he's a little boy, holding the back of his head, mashing their cheeks together, their tears combining."
  — Stephanie Tinsley, [03:26]

  • Andrew displays hope, humor, and resilience despite his circumstances, discussing his role as the “top chef” for the prison and his spiritual routine.

    “He like God, he thought, like, God, I'm going there too. Because even in situations like that, most people, they don't... they’ll just give up. And I’m so glad that he ain’t gave up.”
    — Tamarion, [04:46]

2. The Breakthrough: A Confession and Its Consequences

• [06:31-09:43] Stephanie recounts a pivotal late-night phone call with Stephen Harris, Danny’s other son. Stephen reveals he’s obtained a recording of a confession that could exonerate imprisoned Andrew and implicate someone new (“Sarah”) in Danny Harris’s killing.

  “She was wiping down walls all around the body. She can describe the body to me very well, address her to the right of the body. She knew about, you know, all that... Suppose she said she didn’t do the killing, but I pushed her.”
  — Stephen Harris, [07:12]

  • Stephen’s belief in Andrew’s guilt wavers for the first time, revealing internal conflict and the gravity of the discovery.
  • Tensions rise about what to do with the confession recording and who gets access.

3. The Power Struggle: Gatekeeping the Truth

• [09:43-19:55]

  • Stephen is reluctant to share the full confession tapes, insisting on legal assurances and prioritizing leverage over transparency.

    “I want Sarah... I want a promise... that they’re going to go after her. That’s the only way I move forward with them. I gotta have that guaranteed.”
    — Stephen Harris, [11:33]

  • Host Stephanie and Mark express frustration that withholding evidence could jeopardize justice for Andrew and accountability for Sarah.

  • The episode exposes the complexity of seeking justice in a family tragedy, where emotional stakes, mistrust, and past betrayals hamper collaboration.

    “If you didn’t... If they’re... If she’s admitting to more parts of the murder that you’re not giving them, how can they do their job?”
    — Mark, [18:46]

  • Stephen ultimately concedes partially, offering the primary recording to the DA’s office but withholding others.

4. The DA’s Office: Justice Review in Action

• [21:50-29:40]

  • Stephanie and investigator Clark Chapman meet Lorna McCluskey, head of the Memphis Justice Review Unit, and DA Steve Mulroy for an official discussion of Andrew’s conviction and the new evidence.

    • Lorna shares the overwhelming caseload and the limits of legal mechanisms for reopening cases, even in the face of new evidence.

      “I can spend months on a case and then know that somebody was wrongfully convicted... There’s no mechanism for prosecutors to get that in front of the judge.”
      — Lorna McCluskey, [24:18]

    • When presented with the confession:

      “It raises substantial doubt about the validity of the original conviction of Mr. Hayes. And that’s something that we need to take very seriously.”
      — DA Steve Mulroy, [25:35]

    • Both Tinsley and the Harris family seek concrete reassurances—will an investigation into Sarah be opened? Will the TBI be called in due to possible conflicts of interest? Lorna and Mulroy indicate seriousness but stop short of promising immediate action.

  • Stephanie bluffs, implying she'll release the confession on her podcast if nothing happens in a month:

    “If no action was taken within 30 days, I was prepared to place Sarah Lucas’s confession on the podcast... not to embarrass anyone, but because I felt a responsibility to expose a system that might... look the other way."
    — Stephanie Tinsley, [29:20]

5. The Impasse and Final Shift

• [29:49–32:26]

  • A second meeting between Mark, Philip, and the DA’s team proves unsatisfactory—Lorna is defensive, clear answers are elusive, and no follow-up occurs. Stephen, feeling dismissed and excluded, changes his mind.

    “I’m not worried… I’ll text Mark... that it’s okay for you to listen to it.”
    — Stephen Harris, [32:16]

  • In the closing segment, Stephanie finally gains access to the full, potentially case-changing tape of Sarah Lucas’s confession.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• The Family Reunion:
  “He and Tamarion don’t just hug, they collide... their tears combining. They hold each other for what feels like an eternity. And no one moves to break it.”
  — Stephanie Tinsley, [03:26]

• Stephen’s Unraveling Certainty:
  “Steven had spent years believing Andrew belonged in prison. Now that certainty was cracking and I could hear how much it terrified him.”
  — Stephanie Tinsley, [08:42]

• On Prosecutorial Limits:
  “You can determine someone has been wrongfully convicted but then are powerless to do anything?... Pretty much, yeah. Because... you’ve gotta have a procedure.”
  — Stephanie Tinsley and Lorna McCluskey, [24:48–24:55]

• DA’s Shift on the Confession:
  “It... raises substantial doubt about the validity of the original conviction of Mr. Hayes. And that’s something that we need to take very seriously.”
  — DA Steve Mulroy, [25:35]

• Stephanie’s Gambit:
  “If no action was taken within 30 days, I was prepared to place Sarah Lucas’s confession on the podcast, not to embarrass anyone, but because I felt a responsibility to expose a system that might once again choose to look the other way.”
  — Stephanie Tinsley, [29:20]

Timeline of Important Segments

• [00:24–06:01] – Road trip & Andrew’s prison visit (emotional reunion, foundational family moment)
• [06:31–09:43] – Stephen’s phone call: confession is revealed, doubt enters the Harris family narrative
• [09:43–19:55] – Extended negotiation on the tapes, gatekeeping, and strategies to leverage information
• [21:50–29:40] – DA’s office meeting: real-world legal barriers, new evidence presented, justice review candidness
• [29:49–32:26] – Second DA meeting stymied, Stephen offers full tape to Stephanie, the game shifts

Tone and Atmosphere

The episode carries a tone of simmering hope, frustration, and urgency. Stephanie’s narrative is dogged and empathetic; family moments are intimate and raw. Dialogue retains the participants’ direct, sometimes unfiltered honesty. The adversarial undertones between family, advocates, and officials highlight the real human costs and the emotional toll of revisiting and relitigating the past.

Summary

“Leverage” is a masterfully constructed episode, weaving together emotion, suspense, and the realpolitik of justice. Family bonds, confessions, and institutional inertia all collide—leaving both the Harris family and listeners hanging on the precipice of possible exoneration, new prosecutions, and overdue closure for a murder case nearly lost to silence. The episode ends on the threshold of major revelation: Stephanie finally has the tape that could unravel—or resolve—it all.