On July 4, 2002, two men shot and killed 36-year-old Tony Cox outside a restaurant in Chicago, IL. Suspecting the murder was gang-related, police arrested Eric Blackmon. After claiming Blackmon was selected from a lineup by eyewitnesses, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 60 years in prison.

Guest Host Patrick Pursley was wrongfully convicted for a 1993 murder in Rockford, IL, for which he spent nearly 24 years in prison. Remarkably, he ended up writing the law that set him free.

Patrick and Eric spent over a decade together in Stateville Correctional Center in Cook County, Illinois. They both learned the law and represented themselves before being granted their freedom.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/wrongfulconvictions/exonerations/eric-blackmon.html

https://www.macarthurjustice.org/team_member/eric-blackmon/

https://www.thejri.org/bod

https://www.chicagotorturejustice.org/board-of-directors

This episode is part of a special series in our Wrongful Conviction podcast feed of 15 episodes focused on individual cases of wrongful incarceration, guest hosted by formerly incarcerated returning citizens and leading criminal justice advocates, award-winning journalists and progressive influencers.

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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