A Bermuda shooting turned a young man into a convicted killer overnight. Jurors were told the DNA evidence was stronger than an eyewitness: a 1 in 46 million chance the bullets could have been touched by anyone but Julian Washington. With no defense expert to challenge the science, the prosecution’s narrative prevailed. Washington was sentenced to life, serving ten years before independent review exposed serious flaws in the DNA interpretation and forced his release.

Host Andrew Wildes unpacks how a single expert’s testimony led to a decade lost, why “suspect-centric” DNA analysis undermined objectivity, the role of the Death Penalty Project in correcting injustice, and why access to independent experts is essential if the Caribbean is to prevent future wrongful convictions.

Content note: References to gun violence, wrongful conviction, imprisonment, and systemic failures in access to justice.

Key Themes

➤ DNA evidence as “bullet-proof” testimony—and why it wasn’t

➤ Suspect-centric interpretation and statistical misuse

➤ Appeals courts’ deference to expert authority

➤ The Death Penalty Project’s role in exoneration

➤ Access to experts as an issue of justice, not luxury

Chapter Breakdown

00:00 — Bermuda, bullets, and the shooting of Stefan Burgess

02:30 — DNA at the scene; suspects rounded up

05:00 — Expert testimony: “1 in 46 million” odds

08:15 — Jury verdicts and a life sentence

11:00 — Court of Appeal calls DNA “rock-solid”

13:30 — Ten years in prison, then outside help

15:00 — Dr. Dan Krane reviews the case: eight flaws

17:00 — “Suspect-centric” testing and painting the bullseye

19:30 — Privy Council, immediate release, official reckoning

21:00 — Lessons: experts, imbalance, and access to justice

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More About Andrew Wildes

Explore the work of⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Andrew Wildes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠—Jamaican lawyer, journalist, and host of Stuck: Wrongful Convictions in Jamaica. His mission is to expose systemic injustice, amplify the voices of the wrongfully imprisoned, and drive meaningful legal reform through storytelling and advocacy.

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For updates, insights, and behind-the-scenes content, follow Andrew across platforms and join the conversation on justice in Jamaica.

Production, Distribution, and Marketing

Produced by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Massif Studio & Production⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Tallawah Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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