Follow the Truth

In September 2022, Daniel Green had a hearing before Judge Winston Gilchrist. That day, Daniel fired his longtime attorney and proceeded to represent himself. At stake was whether the judge would grant an evidentiary hearing (the first step to a new trial). 

More than a year later, Judge Gilchrist issues his ruling, all 97 pages of it.

The events that took place in Chester County, Pennsylvania in August 1978 were unthinkable. Family killing family. A father calling for the murder of his own son. For years The Johnston Gang got away with everything—theft, burglary, violence—until the brazen attacks of August 1978 crossed a line, and the family crime empire began to crumble. Host and writer Amanda Lamb shares her own memories of the murders and the trials that followed. Her father was the lead prosecutor who helped bring the killers to justice. A fictional account of The Johnston Gang’s downfall was portrayed in the 1986 movie “At Close Range,” but this is the real story of a violent family crime operation and the long task of bringing its leaders to justice. 

You can listen to THE KILLING MONTH AUGUST 1978 ad-free and exclusively on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.  

In September, Daniel Green came to court, fired his attorney of more than six years, and made a 30-minute oral argument on his own behalf for an evidentiary hearing. It’s not the way anyone expected the court proceeding to go down, even Daniel. Finally, we were able to speak with Daniel from prison and get his take on what happened that day and why he chose to argue for his own freedom.

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After nearly 3 decades in prison for the murder of Michael Jordan's father, Daniel Green finally has the chance to get a hearing that could lead to a new trial and even his freedom. But instead of letting his attorney of more than 6 years argue on his behalf, in the eleventh hour, he fires her and makes his own off-the-cuff argument in front of the judge. Spectators in court are stunned, fearing Green may have thrown away his last chance of coming home.

For Follow the Truth listeners, episode one of What Remains, the newest podcast from WRAL Studios and Amanda Lamb.

After Daniel Green’s last appeal and his first chance at parole were denied, his hope that he would get a chance at freedom was slipping away. Then a surprise decision from the NC Court of Appeals changes everything. It’s the first legal decision in his favor in 28 years. In this episode we talk about what a huge break this could be in the case, and what happens next.

Larry Demery has served 28 years behind bars for the murder of Michael Jordan's father, James. In 2020 he was granted parole and required to complete a three-year pre-release program. If he stayed out of trouble in prison, he would be released in August 2023. A few months later, due to some infractions, his release date was pushed to August 2024. Recently, the parole commission announced they were cancelling Demery's parole completely. What happened to cause this rare termination of parole? Follow the Truth is a true crime podcast re-investigating the murder of Michael Jordan’s dad, James R. Jordan Sr. The two men convicted, Larry Demery and Daniel Andre Green tell conflicting stories of what happened the night of the James Jordan murder. Daniel Green has served nearly three decades in a North Carolina prison maintaining his innocence in the killing. Veteran crime reporter Amanda Lamb questions the evidence, and explores whether this is a case of wrongful conviction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since 1996 Daniel Green has been serving a life sentence for the murder of Michael Jordan’s dad. For the first time, he is eligible for parole. 

After twenty-seven years behind bars for the murder of Michael Jordan’s dad, Larry Demery recants his trial testimony in a conversation with Daniel Green’s attorney. So, what’s the truth? Who murdered James Jordan? And could it be that Daniel Andre Green’s best hope to get out of prison is the Jordan family itself?

For decades, Larry Demery has been a locked box. When journalists went to his family for a statement, they were met with gunfire. Since his conviction for the murder of Michael Jordan’s dad he’s turned down every interview. But it turns out, he did speak up once: before the trial, Larry makes a bombshell statement to a reporter. But, this information never came out at trial. How is that possible? And what kind of deal convinced him to testify against his best friend?