The Knife: A True Crime Podcast

Episode: Update and Jennifer Thompson ReRelease
Date: January 15, 2026
Hosts: Hannah Smith & Patia Eaton
Guest: Jennifer Thompson, Founder of Healing Justice Project

Overview

This episode of The Knife starts with an important update about a delayed episode involving a partially wrongful conviction and why it was ethically withheld. The main focus quickly shifts to a re-release of an earlier, highly impactful interview with Jennifer Thompson, a survivor of a violent assault whose mistaken eyewitness identification resulted in a wrongful conviction. The discussion covers Jennifer's harrowing personal story, the failures of the criminal justice system, the trauma of being both a crime victim and an accidental participant in a wrongful conviction, and the evolution of her healing and advocacy through the founding of the Healing Justice Project.

Episode Highlights

I. Podcast Update: Withdrawing an Episode for Ethical Reasons

Timestamps: 01:10–07:18

• Reason for Withholding New Episode: The hosts explain they had planned to release a new story about a man partially wrongfully convicted, but chose not to air it after his parole was granted, to avoid potentially jeopardizing his freedom or causing further harm to the victim’s family.

  • "Some things are more important than podcasting" – Patia Eaton (05:21)
  • The episode, recorded partly to raise awareness and support, could now have an adverse effect.

• Ethical Commitment:

  • "Our show... it's entertainment, but we've always wanted it to be more than that... We really like to highlight cases where there's an injustice in hopes that that injustice could be righted." – Hannah Smith (05:44)

• Decision: Instead, they re-release the Jennifer Thompson episode, noting its ongoing relevance, especially for new listeners.

II. Jennifer Thompson’s Story: First-Person Account of Trauma, Misidentification, and Healing

Timestamps: 07:24–75:14

Introduction to Jennifer Thompson

• Jennifer is the founder of Healing Justice Project and co-author of "Picking Cotton," her memoir with Ronald Cotton.
• Reflects on her upbringing in segregated North Carolina, the assumed fairness of the system, and her later disillusionment.
  • "So many of us, particularly people that are white, we grow up and we're given certain things almost as a birthright..." – Jennifer Thompson (09:40)

The Crime and Initial Aftermath

Timestamps: 14:00–24:52

• At age 22 (in 1984), Jennifer was attacked and raped in her apartment. She describes the terrifying ordeal, her efforts to survive, and her attempts to commit the details of her attacker to memory.
  • Memorable Quote: "I remember thinking about what it would feel like to die, and I remember wondering how much it will hurt..." – Jennifer Thompson (17:17, 23:55)
• She managed to escape by outsmarting her attacker and alerting neighbors.
• Immediately subjected to the trauma of medical exams and the burdensome reporting process to law enforcement.
  • "It's like – my body was the crime scene and that's where the evidence is." – Jennifer Thompson (25:44)

The Identification Process & Wrongful Conviction

Timestamps: 25:39–38:12

• Jennifer recounts providing a police sketch using an "identikit," the lineup procedures, and the pressure to help apprehend the perpetrator.
  • She identifies Ronald Cotton in photo and physical lineups, largely due to subconscious memory contamination and suggestive police feedback:
    • "My memory was now gone... the original memory was gone. And what is now in place of it is a composite sketch image." (33:35)
• Law enforcement, after her identification, immediately affirmed her choice, deepening her (misplaced) confidence.
  • "Honestly, it was the first time I could take a deep breath..." (30:22)
• The trial is traumatic; Jennifer testifies at length, is questioned and blamed, and Ronald Cotton is sentenced to life plus 54 years.

Life as a Survivor & The Appeal

Timestamps: 38:12–44:36

• Post-trial, Jennifer experiences profound grief and isolation, as support fades but her trauma lingers.
• In 1987, the conviction is appealed, introducing possible reasonable doubt, but at a retrial, Jennifer again identifies Ronald and he's re-convicted, now with two life sentences.

The Exoneration

Timestamps: 44:36–52:59

• In 1995, advancing DNA technology leads to retesting. Jennifer, initially assured this will confirm Ronald’s guilt, gives a new blood sample.
• DNA evidence implicates Bobby Poole, not Ronald. Poole finally confesses after six hours of interrogation.
• Jennifer expresses devastation:
  • Memorable Quote: "Honestly, I don't know that I did. ... There's the Disbelief. There's the anger, there's the fear, there's the confusion. I felt paralyzed." – Jennifer Thompson (48:21)

Understanding Memory & Blame

Timestamps: 52:59–61:38

• Media attention explodes. Jennifer is cast publicly as the person who got it wrong, subject both to blame and erasure of her survival.
• She agrees to be part of a "Frontline" documentary, after learning Ronald will also participate. Eventually, they meet:
  • They bond over shared trauma and the recognition that both the crime and the system failed them, with only the true perpetrator “winning.”
• Jennifer learns that the original witness placing Ronald at the scene was coerced; systemic racism and police misconduct were factors.
  • "She had been given a typed statement from another police officer to call in in exchange for drug charges... to be dropped." (64:14)

Healing, Advocacy & Change

Timestamps: 61:38–75:14

• Jennifer co-authors "Picking Cotton" with Ronald Cotton, publicly speaking out about witness misidentification and the failings of the justice system.
• She describes ongoing blame from the public and system, but ultimately learns to reject it:
  • "That's traumatic. And I didn't know that I didn't have to carry that, that I could deny that. That say, that's not true and that's not right. And here's why." (61:38)
• She founds Healing Justice Project to address the needs of both exonerees and crime survivors, creating opportunities for restorative dialogue and community healing.
  • "If we don't feel like we belong, there's no way we can heal. We can't heal in isolation. ... We heal in community." (73:33)

Key Insights & Discussion Points

• Unreliability of Eyewitness Identification: Trauma and contaminated police processes can irrevocably alter memory.
• Systemic Issues: Confirmation bias, lack of procedural safeguards, and outright misconduct contribute to wrongful convictions.
  • "He had a cop that told him, one of these days I'm going to get you... And that was the cop that put him in the crosshairs." (64:35)
• The Compounded Trauma for Victims and Exonerees: Both face years of pain, marginalization, and public misunderstanding.
  • "No crime victim and no crime survivor... wants an innocent person to go to prison ever." (66:46)
• Reform and Hope: The story prompted real changes in North Carolina's lineup procedures, including double-blind lineups.
• Restorative Justice & Community: Healing often comes from shared understanding, support, and systemic change. The Healing Justice Project embodies this ethos.

Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• "Some things are more important than podcasting."
  — Patia Eaton (05:21)

• "I remember thinking about what it would feel like to die, and I remember wondering how much it will hurt."
  — Jennifer Thompson (17:17)

• "My memory was now gone. The original memory was gone. And what is now in place of it is a composite sketch image."
  — Jennifer Thompson (33:35)

• "We heal in community. And we heal when we're heard. We can heal when we can see each other."
  — Jennifer Thompson (73:33)

Resource Highlights

• Book: Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption (Jennifer Thompson & Ronald Cotton) – Offers dual perspective on the case and aftermath.
• Healing Justice Project: Provides retreats, peer support, and community for both crime victims and exonerees (healingjusticeproject.org).
• Eyewitness Misidentification: Noted as a factor in 63% of DNA exonerations investigated by the Innocence Project.

Concluding Reflections

Hannah and Patia echo the episode’s driving message: real lives are behind the headlines, and the ripple effects of crime—and wrongful justice—are profound. The responsibility to do no harm, create space for healing, and work for systemic change permeates this emotional, impactful episode.

Listen if you:

• Want an unflinching, empathetic look at wrongful convictions, memory, crime victim trauma, and restorative justice.
• Value deep storytelling that goes beyond the “punchy headlines”—and an exploration of difficult but necessary conversations.

End with actionable advice and hope:

• "If you or someone you know has been affected by wrongful conviction—whether as a survivor or someone exonerated—there is hope and a healing community. Reach out. You are not alone."