Wrongful Conviction

February 9, 1992 started as a normal day for 16 year old Faye Jacobs – she attended church and hung out with friends in Little Rock, AR. When she and her mom drove home later, they passed bustling police activity. Intrigued, they stopped the car and got out. Suddenly, Faye was grabbed, pushed against the car and arrested for the shooting murder of Kevin Gaddy, a classmate of hers. Despite an exculpatory alibi and eye witnesses, Faye was sentenced to life without parole. Maggie speaks to Faye Jacobs, Tricia Bushnell Esq. Faye’s attorney, and Tiffany Woods her girlfriend.  

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.change.org/p/asa-hutchinson-support-the-pardon-of-laquanda-faye-jacobs

https://lavaforgood.com/with-maggie-freleng/

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early morning hours of January 11, 1975, 14-year-old Sherese Watson was murdered by strangulation after leaving a house party in Bellport, New York, and her body was found that evening in a field near the party. There were groupings of small stab wounds in her back, and a hair pick was found near her body. Over 20 alibi witnesses placed 17-year-old Keith Bush in the house party at the time of Sherese's death, but one alleged partygoer, Maxine Bell, gave a statement that she would one day recant: that she saw Sherese and Keith leaving together after 1 AM.  Ignoring a more compelling lead, Keith was tortured by detectives into signing a confession that he had not read which contained details that did not match reality. Keith recanted, but with  the signed statement, Bell’s testimony, as well as detectives and a medical examiner who gave either false or erroneous testimony, Keith was convicted and sentenced to 20 years to life.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.trafford.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/358402-POETIC-RAYS-VISIONARY-AND-MAGNETIC

https://www.tiktok.com/@ktbush5?lang=en

https://www.nyls.edu/post-conviction-innocence-clinic/

https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/

Wrongful Conviction  is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On September 19, 1998, Donna Brown was closing a Taco Bell in Adel, GA after her second day on the job. As she left, she was robbed and fatally shot. Two witnesses, one a jailhouse snitch and one a respondent to a $5000 reward, implicated Devonia Inman. Despite their subsequent recantations, several alibi witnesses and an obvious other suspect, Devonia was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life without parole. The real perpetrator went on to kill two others. Maggie speaks to Devonia Inman, Jessica Cino J.D., Devonia’s advocate, Dinah Ray, his mother and David Ray, his stepfather.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.mightycause.com/story/Supportdevoniainman

https://lavaforgood.com/with-maggie-freleng/

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On May 23, 1991, several men robbed Kenneth McLean in his apartment in Boston, MA. When McLean tried to run, one of the men chased and fatally shot McLean in the street. 15 year old Derek Hobson  informed police that he had witnessed the murder. Later, Detective Thomas Gomperts received an anonymous tip naming four men who were allegedly involved in the shooting. One of those men was 23-year-old, Robert Foxworth, who had many alibi witnesses to his whereabouts during the time of the shooting. Detective Gompert created a photo array with the suspects’ pictures to show Derek Hobson. Although he claimed never to have seen the shooter’s face, Hobson chose Robert based on his hairstyle. Robert Foxworth was identified and subsequently arrested. Based on mistaken eyewitness identification, Robert Foxworth was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://rocainc.org/

https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/

Wrongful Conviction  is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On August 28, 1997, Brian was staying overnight at his girlfriend’s house with his cousin, girlfriend, and girlfriend’s sister in West Philadelphia, PA. 45 minutes away, restaurant owner Gus Boulias was killed in his home. A detective, relying on the questionable analysis of a partial fingerprint, decided that Brian was the killer. Even though the state presented no murder weapon, no witnesses, no motive, and no connection to the victim, Brian was convicted of second-degree murder and burglary and sentenced to life in prison. Maggie speaks to Brian Parnell at SCI Coal Township in PA., Marc Howard J.D., Brian's advocate and Tamara Parnell, Brian's sister.

This episode features a portion of #156 Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science - Fingerprint Evidence with host Josh Dubin released on September 9th, 2020.

For more on the junk science of Fingerprint Analysis, click the link below:

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/156-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-fingerprint-evidence/

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.justiceforbrianparnell.com/
https://twitter.com/justice4parnell
https://www.instagram.com/justiceforbrianparnell/
https://www.facebook.com/justiceforbrianparnell

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On April 19, 1986, the body of a 28 year old woman was found in her bedroom in Garland, Texas. She had been tied, gagged, raped and shot three times. Clay Chabot, a friend of the victim's husband, became the main suspect after voluntarily providing information to the police about his brother-in-law, Gerald Pabst, who had visited the victim's home on the morning of the murder. Initially telling police that he had no involvement in the crime, Pabst later changed his story by claiming that Clay had forced him to tie up the victim before she was shot. Despite no physical evidence linking Clay to the crime, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison solely on the testimony of Gerald Pabst.

To learn more and get involved, visit: 

https://guiltypleaproblem.org/?id=clay_chabot 

https://innocenceproject.org/clay-chabot-veterans-day-2018/ 

https://innocenceproject.org/

https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/

Wrongful Conviction  is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On December 5, 1998, a 14 year old Mike Politte woke up to find his Mineral Point, MO home filled with smoke. When he checked on his mom, he found her on the floor – on fire. After days of interrogations, investigators decided that Mike had been grieving incorrectly and that he must have been the perpetrator. Despite evidence pointing to other relatives and evidence against Mike eventually being disproved, Mike was convicted of second degree murder in the killing of his own mother and condemned to spend the next 2 decades in prison. Maggie speaks to Mike Politte at Jefferson City Correctional Center in MO., Megan Crane J.D., Mike's advocate, and Melonie Politte, Mike's sister.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-michael-politte-after-wrongful-conviction

https://twitter.com/michaelpolitte?lang=en

https://lavaforgood.com/with-maggie-freleng/

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early morning hours of June 23rd, 1984, 2 customers, a man and a woman, left a Bronx bodega. The store clerk said that the woman went with the man willingly. According to the woman, she was abducted, dragged into a park, raped, and robbed. Then, while waiting for a cab home, the same man dragged her into an abandoned building, where she was again raped and robbed. This time, he cut her face, damaging her eyesight. A rape kit was performed at the hospital, and she was shown a mugshot book, from which she identified Alan Newton - a man who had spent the night at his fiancee's family's home in Queens. Unfortunately, Alan had to wait for over 22 years for both the DNA testing and the authorities to begrudgingly locate the biological evidence to finally corroborate that alibi. 

To learn more and get involve, visit:

https://innocenceproject.org/

https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/

Wrongful Conviction  is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On December 23, 1997, a botched robbery at a popular pizza restaurant in Reading, PA resulted in the death of its beloved owner, George Clauser. A reward in the paper led police to 19 year old Melvin Ortiz, when two individuals with obvious agendas implicated him. Despite 19 alibi witnesses placing Melvin at a birthday party at the time of the crime, Melvin was sentenced to spend life in prison without parole. Maggie speaks to Melvin Ortiz at SCI - Dallas, PA., Marc Howard J.D., Melvin's advocate, and Victoria Blanco, Melvin's fiancee.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

If anyone has any information on this case, please email [email protected]

https://www.freemelvinortiz.org/ 

@freemelvinortiz on instagram, twitter, facebook, tiktok

https://www.change.org/MelvinOrtiz

https://www.instagram.com/freemelvinortiz/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNCpeXu5tURsdkRezBY2EVQ

https://fundly.com/support-ortiz-family

https://lavaforgood.com/with-maggie-freleng/

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On May 19th, 1975, in front of a store in Cleveland, OH, two assailants robbed a man, splashed acid in his face, shot and killed him, and then fired into the store injuring the co-owner. 12 year-old Eddie Vernon was riding a bus near the scene and later bragged that he had seen Ricky Jackson, as well as Ronnie and Wiley Bridgeman commit the crime. However, according to all the other occupants of the bus, they were too far away to even see the crime. But police ignored other more compelling leads and focused on Eddie’s story. When he tried to back away from the fib, they threatened to take his parents to prison if he didn’t stick to the story. Eddie’s false testimony at trial helped send all three young men to death row.

To learn more and get involved, visit: 

https://law.uc.edu/real-world-learning/centers/ohio-innocence-project-at-cincinnati-law.html

https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/

Wrongful Conviction  is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.