Today, we’re diving into a story that feels like it was ripped from a blockbuster movie script, but it’s all too real: the 2015 escape from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York. Two convicted murderers, Richard Matt and David Sweat, pulled off one of the most daring prison breakouts in modern history, tunneling their way out of a maximum-security fortress and sparking a 23-day manhunt that gripped the nation. This tale is packed with cunning, betrayal, and a high-stakes chase through the rugged wilderness of upstate New York. It’s a story of human ingenuity, systemic failure, and the thin line between freedom and capture. Let’s break it down. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we’re diving into a story that’s as heartbreaking as it is unforgettable: the tragic case of Joe Arridy, a young man with severe intellectual disabilities who was wrongfully convicted, executed in 1939, and finally pardoned in 2011 - 72 years after his death. Known as “the happiest man on death row,” Joe’s story is a stark reminder of the flaws in our justice system and the human cost of those failures. Let’s unpack this haunting tale and explore why it still resonates today. Joe Arridy was born in 1915 in Pueblo, Colorado, to Syrian immigrant parents, Henry and Mary, who were first cousins and spoke little English. From a young age, it was clear Joe was different. He was non-verbal until age five, and even as an adult, he spoke in short, simple sentences, often only responding when spoken to. Psychological tests later revealed he had an IQ of 46, functioning at the level of a young child. At school, his principal deemed him unable to learn and told his parents to keep him home. Joe spent his days wandering Pueblo, hammering nails or making mud pies, a habit he kept into his teens. His world was simple, innocent, and marked by a profound inability to grasp complex ideas - like guilt, crime, or consequences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we’re diving into one of the most infamous prison escape stories in history: the 1962 Alcatraz escape. Thirty-six men attempted to break out of Alcatraz in 14 separate attempts, but it’s the story of three inmates—Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin—whose fate remains a mystery to this day. Did they drown in the icy waters of San Francisco Bay, or did they pull off the impossible and vanish into the night? Let’s unpack this legendary tale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.