
Hosted by Lava for Good Podcasts · EN
Hosted by celebrated criminal justice reform advocate and founding board member of the Innocence Project Jason Flom, Pulitzer prize-winning podcast host and producer Maggie Freleng, and Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and podcast host Lauren Bright Pacheco, Wrongful Conviction features intimate conversations with men and women who have spent years in prison for crimes they maintain they did not commit. Some have been fully exonerated and reunited with family and friends while others continue to languish, with some even facing execution on death row. Each episode peels back the layers behind the stories of those who have found themselves caught in a legal system gone wrong, with illuminating insights from lawyers and leading experts sharing their in-depth knowledge about each case, from prison visits and courtroom battles to reexamined crime scenes and witness interviews. This gripping series reveals the tragedy of injustice…as well as the triumph that is possible when people step up and demand change.

In August 2005, 22-year-old Rosa Jimenez was sentenced to 99 years in prison for murder and injury to a child after a 21-month-old child she was babysitting choked on a wad of paper towels. The prosecution’s experts testified that Rosa had to have shoved the towels down little Bryan’s throat. And Rosa, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who didn’t speak English, had woefully inadequate defense. Years later, several top pediatric ENT experts concluded Bryan’s death had been accidental. And Rosa was exonerated almost two decades later. Learn more about the practice of shackling incarcerated women who are giving birth:https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-commentary/childbirth-behind-bars-shackling-maggie-freleng-1234657748/ The Innocence Projecthttps://innocenceproject.org/ Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a 1976 case known as the “Cain and Abel Murders”, Jerry Allen Mark, a former Peace Corps volunteer and “hippie lawyer,” was convicted of murdering his brother Leslie Mark, Leslie’s wife, and their two children in their Iowa farmhouse. The prosecution argued that Jerry killed his family over a property dispute, citing alleged jealousy after Leslie inherited the family farm after their father passed. Authorities claimed he was nearby on the night of the murders and had purchased bullets similar to those used in the crime shortly before it happened. But no physical evidence was found that pointed to Jerry and witness statements which were withheld by the prosecution during his initial trial suggested he was miles away at the time of the murders. Nevertheless, Jerry was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without parole. To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.drake.edu/law/clinics-centers/clinic/wrongfulconvictionsclinic/ https://www.facebook.com/enicholscook/ https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/396-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-footwear-comparison-evidence/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the morning of April 26, 1980, visitors at Wildcat Den State Park in Iowa found the body of 22-year-old Michiel Winkel. She had been stabbed 17 times. From the start, police zeroed in on William Beeman, a local DJ with a reputation for being a womanizer. Despite the fact that William did not know Michiel, there was no physical evidence for the crime, and he had an alibi for the days of her possible killing, William was convicted of murder and remains in prison today. If you want to help William you can contact the Muscatine, Iowa County Attorney, Jim Berry:https://www.muscatinecountyiowa.gov/141/Attorneys-Office or, The Drake Wrongful Convictions Clinic:https://www.drake.edu/law/clinics-centers/clinic/wrongfulconvictionsclinic/ Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Evelyn Malin was the 84-year-old owner of the Dollar Lake Store in tiny Shamrock Township, 130 miles north of Minneapolis. On the morning of February 24, 1998, she was found beaten and strangled to death in the living quarters that were connected to her convenience store. Over a year later, Brian Pippitt was charged with premeditated murder based primarily on the incentivized testimony of two witnesses who later admitted to fabricating their statements. Brian was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. To learn more and get involved, visit:https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-gov-walz-stand-up-for-justice?nowrapper=true&referrer=group-drop-site-news&source=group-drop-site-news Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the morning of February 19th, 2022, Cassandra Black Elk awoke to find her three-week-old daughter StarLight lifeless beside her. Police insisted the baby had died due to Shaken Baby Syndrome - and that Cassandra was responsible. “They were telling me their story,” Cassandra remembers, “that somebody did something to StarLight…somebody killed her.” Cassandra knew she hadn’t hurt her baby. She asked her lawyer repeatedly - what does the autopsy report say? But by the time she got the answer, Cassandra had been convicted of having caused her daughter’s death, and was already in prison. To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/cassi-black-elk-innocent-and-finally-freed https://www.greatnorthinnocenceproject.org F5 Project Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On April 9th, 1989, a fire took JoAnn Parks’ 3 children. Originally ruling the fire an accident, the nonscientific arson investigation - just as subjectively - switched directions to call her a monster and steal 29 years of her life. Learn more and get involved at: https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/with-jason-flom Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.