Wrongful Conviction

#459 Jason Flom with Melissa Calusinski


Listen Later

On January 14, 2009, sixteen-month-old Benjamin Kingan died after being in daycare at a suburb outside of Chicago, IL. Despite no physical signs of abuse or injury, police took 22-year-old Melissa Calusinski, an employee at the daycare, in for extensive questioning. Melissa repeatedly told officers she had nothing to do with the baby’s death, but after nine hours of interrogation, she falsely confessed to throwing the baby on the ground. The state relied on the later disproven theory that Benjamin died from a skull fracture, junk science testimony from medical professionals, and Melissa’s false confession to sentence her to 31 years in prison for first-degree murder.

Write your letters of support for Melissa’s clemency petition to IL Governor Pritzker and send to:

[email protected]

Letters are due by 7/8/2024

https://www.kathleentzellner.com/melissa-calusinski

https://www.facebook.com/groups/740709216037007/

We started the Wrongful Conviction podcast to provide a voice to innocent people in prison.
We want to hear your voices, too.
So call us at 833-207-4666 and leave us a message.
Tell us how these powerful, often tragic and sometimes triumphant, stories make you feel. 
Shocked?
Inspired? 
Motivated?
We want to know!
We may even include your story in a future episode.
And hey, the more of you that join in, the more power our collective voices will have.
So tell a friend to listen and to call us too at 833-207-4666

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Wrongful ConvictionBy Lava for Good Podcasts

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

5,522 ratings


More shows like Wrongful Conviction

View all
48 Hours by CBS News

48 Hours

10,978 Listeners

Someone Knows Something by CBC

Someone Knows Something

19,113 Listeners

Hell and Gone by iHeartPodcasts

Hell and Gone

7,442 Listeners

The Binge Cases: Catch Me If You Ken by Sony Music Entertainment

The Binge Cases: Catch Me If You Ken

3,792 Listeners

Righteous Convictions with Jason Flom by Lava for Good Podcasts

Righteous Convictions with Jason Flom

47 Listeners

Murder in Illinois by iHeartPodcasts

Murder in Illinois

2,670 Listeners

The Binge Crimes: The Arsonist Next Door by Sony Music Entertainment

The Binge Crimes: The Arsonist Next Door

3,041 Listeners

The Real Killer by iHeartPodcasts and AYR Media

The Real Killer

898 Listeners

Proof: A True Crime Podcast by Red Marble Media

Proof: A True Crime Podcast

1,627 Listeners

Bone Valley by Lava for Good Podcasts

Bone Valley

4,581 Listeners

The War on Drugs by Lava for Good Podcasts

The War on Drugs

117 Listeners

Murder in Oregon by iHeartPodcasts

Murder in Oregon

102 Listeners

Earwitness by Lava for Good Podcasts

Earwitness

392 Listeners

Erased: The Murder of Elma Sands by Lava for Good Podcasts

Erased: The Murder of Elma Sands

195 Listeners

Burden of Guilt by iHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts

Burden of Guilt

1,002 Listeners

Blink | Jake Haendel's Story by Sony Music, Corinne Vien, Jacob Haendel

Blink | Jake Haendel's Story

5,975 Listeners

Murder on Songbird Road by iHeartPodcasts

Murder on Songbird Road

612 Listeners

Crook County by Tenderfoot TV and iHeartPodcasts

Crook County

928 Listeners

Absolute by Lava for Good Podcasts

Absolute

10 Listeners