#315 - In 1975, a three-year-old boy disappeared in Richmond, Virginia. Days later, his body was found in the James River, and a young neighbor, Marvin Grimm Jr., became the focus of the investigation.

After hours of interrogation, Marvin confessed and later pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to life in prison.

But decades later, advances in forensic science told a very different story.

DNA testing excluded Marvin from every piece of biological evidence in the case. Experts identified clear red flags in his confession. And toxicology analysis made the prosecution’s timeline impossible.

In 2024, nearly fifty years after his conviction, the courts ruled that Marvin Grimm Jr. was innocent.

This episode examines how a confession, outdated forensic assumptions, and the absence of modern DNA testing combined to produce a devastating wrongful conviction, and how science ultimately helped set the record straight.

Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production. The show is written and produced by Courtney Fretwell.

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