Proof: A True Crime Podcast

On today’s Sidebar, we talk to Eric Anderson, who was a college freshman when he was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree armed robbery, assault and illegal use of a weapon. Despite having an alibi—and video showing he was elsewhere at the time of the robbery—Eric was found guilty and sentenced to 15 to 22 years in prison. He fought to prove his innocence, and with the help of the Michigan Innocence Clinic, his conviction was overturned in 2019. Today, Eric works with the Organization of Exonerees, helping others who have faced similar injustices.

Listener questions or tips about any of the cases we cover are welcome @[email protected]. 

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LaVone Hill spent 22 years in prison for a double murder he did not commit. While incarcerated, he met Scott Baldwin, and the two bonded over walks in the yard, sharing case law. In October 2024, LaVone was exonerated—his conviction vacated, and his freedom restored. On this week’s Sidebar, LaVone shares his story, reflects on his friendship with Scott, and describes what it meant to stand in the courtroom as an exoneree at Scott’s resentencing.

Visit our website at proofcrimepod.com. Follow us on social media. On Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook we are @proofcrimepod.

Listener questions or tips about any of the cases we cover are welcome @[email protected]. 

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Scott Baldwin knew he wasn’t alone—he believed there were others like him who had been wrongfully convicted. In this third season of Proof, we heard many of those stories, along with a shocking revelation about why a key witness never testified in one of Kalamazoo’s most horrific murder cases.

Now, as the season comes to a close, where does that leave the investigation—and what happens next? On this week’s Sidebar, Susan, Jacinda, and Kevin reflect on what they’ve uncovered, what still lies ahead, and why the story doesn’t end here.

Visit our website at proofcrimepod.com. Follow us on social media. On Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook we are @proofcrimepod.

Listener questions or tips about any of the cases we cover are welcome @[email protected]. 

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In the final episode of Proof: Murder at the Bike Shop, the team uncovers letters and documents suggesting a conspiracy that may have reached the highest levels of Kalamazoo’s legal system—one aimed at preventing a key eyewitness from testifying in one of the county's most horrific murder trials. Nearly two decades later, what does this mean for the five Polderman defendants?

Scott Baldwin is gone, but his case isn’t the end of the story. As new evidence comes to light, it raises urgent questions about other cold case convictions—and for those still in prison who may have been wrongfully convicted, the story is far from over.

Visit our website at proofcrimepod.com. Follow us on social media. On Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook we are @proofcrimepod.

Listener questions or tips about any of the cases we cover are welcome @[email protected]. 

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Two tips that were never investigated could have changed everything in Scott Baldwin’s case. It’s too late for Scott—but not for the truth. Susan, Jacinda, and Kevin reflect on his final days—and the frustration of knowing the evidence that could have proven his innocence was there all along. In searching for answers, the team may have uncovered evidence that could help other Cold Case defendants.

Visit our website at proofcrimepod.com. Follow us on social media. On Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook we are @proofcrimepod.

Listener questions or tips about any of the cases we cover are welcome @[email protected]. 

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Two overlooked tips could hold the answer to what actually happened to Earl O’Byrne—answers that, 25 years ago, would have spared Scott from a wrongful conviction. It’s too late to undo what happened to Scott Baldwin, but if a judge grants resentencing, he may at least be able to die at home, with his family by his side. By chance, the PROOF team uncovers paperwork suggesting a conspiracy far bigger than anyone imagined—at the center of it, a longtime Cold Case informant.

Visit our website at proofcrimepod.com. Follow us on social media. On Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook we are @proofcrimepod.

Listener questions or tips about any of the cases we cover are welcome @[email protected]. 

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In Episode 10 of PROOF: Murder at the Bike Shop the team finally tracks down Allen Nutter. After multiple trips to Kalamazoo and countless hours of searching, it pays off—he confirms what the PROOF team had suspected all along, and more. On this week’s SIDEBAR, hear more about that interview—and what it was like to finally meet Richard Vendeville, a name that surfaces again and again in the Cold Case files.

Listener questions or tips about any of the cases we cover are welcome @⁠[email protected]⁠. 

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Silence can make it nearly impossible to prove innocence. For people like Scott Baldwin, it can mean the difference between justice and none at all. The Proof team finally tracks down longtime alternate suspect Allen Nutter—but will he talk? As they wait to see if a Cold Case informant will agree to meet, they also turn to the original investigators in Earl O’Byrne’s murder for answers. Will anyone talk?

Listener questions or tips about any of the cases we cover are welcome @[email protected]. 

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From what happened to the bike shop after Earl’s murder to the mystery of the money bags and more, Susan Simpson, Jacinda Davis, and Kevin Fitzpatrick answer listener questions from throughout this season of Proof: Murder at the Bike Shop on this week’s SIDEBAR.

Visit our website at proofcrimepod.com.  Follow us on social media. On Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook we are @proofcrimepod.

Listener questions or tips about any of the cases we cover are welcome @[email protected]. 

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In episode 9 of Proof: Murder at the Bike Shop, we explored a critical question: why would someone confess to a crime they didn’t commit? You heard it in the story of the Polderman defendants, where multiple confessions raised serious doubts about what really happened.

On this week’s SIDEBAR, we go deeper with Dr. Tina Zottoli—a NYS licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Montclair State University—who explains the psychology behind false confessions and how they can lead to wrongful convictions.

Listener questions or tips about any of the cases we cover are welcome @[email protected]. 

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