Unjust & Unsolved

On February 21, 2002 Jeffrey Havard was babysitting his girlfriend’s baby, Chloe Britt. Jeff was bathing her when she accidentally slipped from his hands and hit her head on the toilet. He put her to bed and everything was fine until she was later rushed to the hospital and died. Jeff was arrested, charged and sentenced to death in Mississippi for the sexual assault and murder Chloe. Changes in science behind “Shaken Baby Syndrome” caused an evidentiary hearing for Jeff in 2016. The original medical examiner in the case said that he specifically told prosecutors on more than one occasion prior to trial that he could not support a finding for sexual abuse. This information was withheld from the defense. He has also changed his initial findings and believes that this was indeed an accident, agreeing with many new experts. In September of 2018, Jeff's death penalty sentence was vacated, and he was re-sentenced to life without parole, but is still fighting for his freedom.

Learn more about Jeffrey's case and how to help:

http://www.freejeffreyhavard.org/

For more information and a complete list of sources for this episode, visit:

https://www.unjustandunsolved.com/

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a new podcast from the Obsessed Network featuring award-winning journalist (and crucial "Unjust and Unsolved" collaborator) Amber Hunt.  Each episode tells the story of a case that might not be remembered today, but was huge when it happened.

The first two episodes are out today, and we're presenting a special preview of Episode 1.  Subscribe to "Crimes of the Centuries" wherever you get your podcasts. 

On December 29, 2009 two cars pulled up to a Detroit intersection. In one was J.B. Watson, his girlfriend LaRita Thomas, and his cousin Phillip Reed. In the other, two black men. One got out and fired multiple shots at the trio, killing Watson. The shooting was claimed to be gang related and Darrell Ewing and and his co-defendant Derrico Searcy were convicted of the murder. However, Darell had a solid alibi at a family funeral and Tyree Washington came forward repeatedly to confess to the murder, including under oath. In 2017, Darrell and Derrico were ordered a new trial based on jury contamination and lack of overwhelming evidence of guilt. Again in 2019 a judge ordered a new trial, but the prosecutor Kym Worthy has fought every decision and appeal. They have been in prison for almost a decade for a crime they did not commit.

Learn more about Darrell's case and how to help:

https://actualinnocentprisoners.com/darrell-ewing

For more information and a complete list of sources for this episode, visit:

https://www.unjustandunsolved.com/

In 1999, Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Ohio home while her two children were upstairs and one hid under the dining room table potentially watching the crime. Her ex-boyfriend David was instantly a suspect as the father of one of her children, but he had a solid alibi. So the police found Joe Wilkes, a friend of David’s, and a vulnerable kid whom they threatened with the death penalty if he did not confess to a murder for hire. In 2000 with Joe’s testimony, David was sentenced to life without parole. A year later Joe recanted his testimony and since then it appears evidence was planted and it was revealed that Yvonne was possibly a sex worker and had intimate relationships with multiple members of the police department. David has been in prison for twenty years.

Learn more about David's case and how to help:

http://www.linktr.ee/freedavidthorne

For more information and a complete list of sources for this episode, visit:

https://www.unjustandunsolved.com/

On Halloween night in 2001, Columbia Tribune Sports Editor Kent Heitholt was brutally murdered in the Tribune parking lot. Two years later, Charles Erickson read a memorial in the paper about Heitholt and was convinced he and classmate Ryan Ferguson committed the murder. Despite blacking out from partying that night and having no memory of the murder, besides what he called “snapshots," Charles took a plea deal to testify against Ryan. Ryan’s conviction was overturned in 2012 based on a Brady violation and recanted witness statements, including Charles's. Ryan now sits on the board of the Innocence Project. Even though his co-defendant is free, Charles has been in prison for sixteen years.

Learn more about Charles's case and how to help:

http://www.freecharleserickson.org/

For more information and a complete list of sources for this episode, visit: 

https://www.unjustandunsolved.com/

In 1998, JJ was sentenced to life for the murder of a police officer in Harlem, New York. The twenty-one-year-old father had an alibi that day, yet was placed in a lineup and identified as the shooter despite the alibi disparity between the appearances and race of the witness descriptions and JJ. Since then, identifying witnesses have recanted their testimony that JJ was the shooter and there is no evidence placing JJ at the scene. In fact, new evidence points away from JJ. The real killer is still out there and JJ has been in prison for twenty-three years.

Learn more about JJ's case and how to help:

http://freejonadrianvelazquez.org/

For more information and a complete list of sources for this episode, visit:

www.unjustandunsolved.com

In 2005 Rosa Jimenez was sentenced to life for the murder of a three-year-old child in her care. Twenty-year-old Rosa was babysitting twenty-one-month-old Bryan Gutierrez at her house when he came into the kitchen choking. Bryan was choking on a paper towel and at Rosa’s trial experts said it was impossible for him to get it lodged in there himself. A re-trial for Rosa has been granted, but the process will take months or years and she has developed stage four kidney disease and is starting dialysis this month. The DA can release her now but they won’t. Rosa has been in prison for seventeen years.

https://www.innocenceproject.org/free-rosa-jimenez/?p2asource=pc_09242020

www.unjustandunsolved.com

March 31, 1991 Easter Sunday. Eighteen-year-old Bill Little was shot dead while working at the Clark Gas Station in Bloomington, Illinois. Almost a decade later, despite no physical evidence, a solid alibi, and passing a lie detector test, Jamie Snow was arrested and convicted of the murder of Bill Little. Jamie was sentenced to life without parole and has been in prison for almost 20 years. But recent investigations have shown that the witness testimony, the only evidence used to convict Jamie, was coerced. And new leads turn up suspects who could be the real killer.

Learn more about Jamie's case and how to help: FreeJamieSnow.com

www.unjustandunsolved.com

In 1996 Jermaine Smothers was sentenced to 29 years to life for the murder of Ernesto Flores. He was convicted despite passing a polygraph examination prior to trial and despite the exceedingly unreliable eyewitnesses who claimed that they saw him shoot Flores. In fact, multiple people there that night admitted to knowing who the real shooter was. In 2001 detective Kelly Deveney was investigating another case when she stumbled upon evidence of Jermaine’s innocence as well as witnesses who said they lied during his trial. She has been helping to overturn his conviction since. Jermaine has been in prison for 24 years.

Freejermaine.org

For more information and a complete list of sources for this episode, visit www.unjustandunsolved.com

In 1976 Concord, NC, a man broke into the home of a prominent white widow and violently beat and raped her. Ronnie Long, a 20-year-old black man, was given consecutive life sentences for rape and burglary. In a mostly segregated town, Ronnie was convicted by an all white jury, with no evidence linking him to the crime, an alibi, and only a shaky witness ID from the survivor. Since then, it was revealed that the prosecution witheld exculpatory evidence for Ronnie. There is also DNA evidence Ronnie is trying to get tested to prove who the real attacker was. Ronnie, now 64, has spent 44 years in prison; however, major updates happened during this case while we were reporting it.

https://freeronnielongnow.org/

For more information and a complete list of sources for this episode, visit www.unjustandunsolved.com