In November 1986, Robert Cleland was the head prosecutor in St. Clair County, Michigan. The morning after Cleland lost a statewide race for Attorney General, Scott Macklem was murdered. Cleland decided to prosecute the case himself, depicting the defendant as a dangerous ninja out for revenge.

You can hear the entire season of Examined: The Backfire Effect, ad-free, right now by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the show page on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ or at ⁠Pushkin.fm/plus⁠. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, and exclusive binges of other true crime podcasts throughout the year.

In November 1986, Robert Cleland was the head prosecutor in St. Clair County, Michigan. The morning after Cleland lost a statewide race for Attorney General, Scott Macklem was murdered. Cleland decided to prosecute the case himself, depicting the defendant as a dangerous ninja out for revenge.
You can hear the entire season of Examined: The Backfire Effect, ad-free, right now by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the show page on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/examined-the-backfire-effect/id1549249596" data-airgap-id="12">⁠Apple Podcasts⁠</a> or at <a href="http://pushkin.fm/plus" data-airgap-id="13">⁠Pushkin.fm/plus⁠</a>. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, and exclusive binges of other true crime podcasts throughout the year.

About Examined: Overlooked cases that never got the real investigation they deserved. Each season features deeply reported stories about crime, punishment, and the people inside the criminal legal system. 

Nearly 40 years ago, in the parking lot of a community college in Port Huron, Michigan, a 20-year-old student named Scott Macklem was shot dead in broad daylight. His murder shocked the community. It made no sense. The police quickly found their suspect. There was only one problem: the man said he was nowhere near the scene of the crime. And he could prove it. In Examined: The Backfire Effect, journalist Josie Duffy Rice talks with eyewitnesses, investigators and local reporters to unravel a shocking story of judicial apathy and expedience — a story that leaves no one off the hook.

About Examined: Overlooked cases that never got the real investigation they deserved. Each season features deeply reported stories about crime, punishment, and the people inside the criminal legal system.&nbsp;
Nearly 40 years ago, in the parking lot of a community college in Port Huron, Michigan, a 20-year-old student named Scott Macklem was shot dead in broad daylight. His murder shocked the community. It made no sense. The police quickly found their suspect. There was only one problem: the man said he was nowhere near the scene of the crime. And he could prove it. In Examined: The Backfire Effect, journalist Josie Duffy Rice talks with eyewitnesses, investigators and local reporters to unravel a shocking story of judicial apathy and expedience &mdash; a story that leaves no one off the hook.

Examined: The Backfire Effect

Episode 3: The Ninja

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1e70453b-3818-4450-ba1e-b4c7012fe84c/transcript

For Temujin Kensu to have a chance at leaving prison, his legal team would have to convince courts that another person killed Scott Macklem. There are theories pointing to at least three suspects. Can any new evidence emerge after so many decades? And what does it do to the criminal legal system when it insists on punishment at any cost?

For Temujin Kensu to have a chance at leaving prison, his legal team would have to convince courts that another person killed Scott Macklem. There are theories pointing to at least three suspects. Can any new evidence emerge after so many decades? And what does it do to the criminal legal system when it insists on punishment at any cost?

Episode 7: The Guilty Party

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d38bc61f-1a52-45bd-a74a-b4c800e65694/transcript

Note: This episode contains descriptions of rape and sexual assault.

With his state and federal appeals almost exhausted, Temujin Kensu turns to the work of private investigators like Herb Welser, who’ve managed to uncover new evidence in his case. But the law still has a problem with Temujin, a problem that concerns not whether he's innocent, but whether he’s good.

You can hear the entire season of Examined: The Backfire Effect, ad-free, right now by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the show page on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ or at ⁠Pushkin.fm/plus⁠. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, and exclusive binges of other true crime podcasts throughout the year.

Note: This episode contains descriptions of rape and sexual assault.
With his state and federal appeals almost exhausted, Temujin Kensu turns to the work of private investigators like Herb Welser, who&rsquo;ve managed to uncover new evidence in his case. But the law still has a problem with Temujin, a problem that concerns not whether he's innocent, but whether he&rsquo;s good.
You can hear the entire season of Examined: The Backfire Effect, ad-free, right now by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the show page on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/examined-the-backfire-effect/id1549249596" data-airgap-id="16">⁠Apple Podcasts⁠</a> or at <a href="http://pushkin.fm/plus" data-airgap-id="17">⁠Pushkin.fm/plus⁠</a>. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, and exclusive binges of other true crime podcasts throughout the year.

Episode 6: The Women

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c367ae87-4cee-4020-ae4b-b4c701465680/transcript

The trial of Temujin Kensu had happened quickly, just six months from arrest to verdict. What came next was unbearably slow. And with every year that passed, his odds of getting out of prison would go down. But then, one judge decided to rule in his favor. Was this his chance? 

You can hear the entire season of Examined: The Backfire Effect, ad-free, right now by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the show page on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ or at ⁠Pushkin.fm/plus⁠. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, and exclusive binges of other true crime podcasts throughout the year.

The trial of Temujin Kensu had happened quickly, just six months from arrest to verdict. What came next was unbearably slow. And with every year that passed, his odds of getting out of prison would go down. But then, one judge decided to rule in his favor. Was this his chance?&nbsp;
You can hear the entire season of Examined: The Backfire Effect, ad-free, right now by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the show page on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/examined-the-backfire-effect/id1549249596" data-airgap-id="16">⁠Apple Podcasts⁠</a> or at <a href="http://pushkin.fm/plus" data-airgap-id="17">⁠Pushkin.fm/plus⁠</a>. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, and exclusive binges of other true crime podcasts throughout the year.

Episode 5: Time Barred

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/12cb5fc1-6bba-48a6-9398-b4c701439fe5/transcript

Episode 3: The Ninja

In 1 playlist(s)

Examined: The Backfire Effect

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips