LFTG Radio

The Shamgod Story: Inside a Gutter Justice Investigation


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On this episode of LFTG Radio, we step into serious justice work with a case that exposes how wrongful convictions are built — and protected.

Shamgod Jay joins us to tell the full story of how he lost 25 years of his life after a manipulated photo array, coerced witness statements, racial bias in a rural jurisdiction, ineffective counsel, and suppressed exculpatory evidence combined to secure a conviction that should never have stood.

What began as three separate photo arrays that did not identify him changed when his image was moved into the “gunman” position. Years later, buried documentation confirmed that the original identification did not point to Shamgod at all. Add to that documented hand injuries — splints and severed tendons that made it physically impossible for him to commit the crime as alleged — and you’re left with a case riddled with red flags that were ignored at trial.

We’re also joined by Derrick Hamilton, Deputy Director of the

👉🏾 Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law,

a center dedicated to reviewing wrongful convictions and addressing forensic misuse and systemic misconduct. Hamilton, who himself was wrongfully incarcerated for over two decades before being exonerated, discusses the active review of Shamgod’s case and the broader structural issues that allow wrongful convictions to persist — including absolute immunity protections that shield prosecutors and police from accountability.

In this episode, we break down:

  • How eyewitness identifications become contaminated
  • The role of “serial informants” testifying across multiple counties
  • What Brady violations mean in real life
  • How suppressed evidence and procedural blocks shut down innocence claims
  • Why accountability in wrongful conviction cases remains rare

This conversation is part of the work connected to The Gutter Justice Project, LFTG’s division focused on wrongful convictions and systemic accountability.

If you want to connect directly:

📘 To reach Shamgod Jay, connect via Facebook:

👉🏾 Shamgod Jay on Facebook

📸 To reach Derrick Hamilton / Top Notch Legal, connect via Instagram:

👉🏾 Top Notch Legal on Instagram

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LFTG RadioBy Elliott Carterr