In July of 1996, Damon Thibodeaux was visiting family, when his 14 year-old step cousin, Crystal, walked to the grocery store and never came back. When Crystal’s mother Dawn began to worry, Damon went looking for her daughter. Soon, neighbors and emergency workers would join the search that ended under the Huey P Long Bridge with a partially nude Crystal strangled to death.

However, even before the body was found, the police already had their sights on Damon for what they thought was a rape and murder. Returning guest Innocence Project Senior Staff attorney Vanessa Potkin and death row exoneree Damon Thibodeaux tell Jason this unbelievable tale of triumph over tragedy.

Learn more and get involved at:

https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com

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.

In July of 1996, Damon Thibodeaux was visiting family, when his 14 year-old step cousin, Crystal, walked to the grocery store and never came back. When Crystal&rsquo;s mother Dawn began to worry, Damon went looking for her daughter. Soon, neighbors and emergency workers would join the search that ended under the Huey P Long Bridge with a partially nude Crystal strangled to death.
However, even before the body was found, the police already had their sights on Damon for what they thought was a rape and murder. Returning guest Innocence Project Senior Staff attorney Vanessa Potkin and death row exoneree Damon Thibodeaux tell Jason this unbelievable tale of triumph over tragedy.
Learn more and get involved at:
<a href="https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com">https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com</a>
<a href="https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/">Wrongful Conviction </a>&nbsp;is a production of<a href="https://lavaforgood.com/"> Lava for Good&trade; Podcasts</a> in association with<a href="https://www.signalco1.com/"> Signal Co. No1.</a>
​​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.

Hosted by celebrated criminal justice reform advocate and founding board member of the Innocence Project Jason Flom, Pulitzer prize-winning podcast host and producer Maggie Freleng, and Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and podcast host Lauren Bright Pacheco, Wrongful Conviction features intimate conversations with men and women who have spent years in prison for crimes they maintain they did not commit. Some have been fully exonerated and reunited with family and friends while others continue to languish, with some even facing execution on death row. Each episode peels back the layers behind the stories of those who have found themselves caught in a legal system gone wrong, with illuminating insights from lawyers and leading experts sharing their in-depth knowledge about each case, from prison visits and courtroom battles to reexamined crime scenes and witness interviews. This gripping series reveals the tragedy of injustice…as well as the triumph that is possible when people step up and demand change.

Hosted by celebrated criminal justice reform advocate and founding board member of the Innocence Project Jason Flom, Pulitzer prize-winning podcast host and producer Maggie Freleng, and Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and podcast host Lauren Bright Pacheco, Wrongful Conviction features intimate conversations with men and women who have spent years in prison for crimes they maintain they did not commit. Some have been fully exonerated and reunited with family and friends while others continue to languish, with some even facing execution on death row. Each episode peels back the layers behind the stories of those who have found themselves caught in a legal system gone wrong, with illuminating insights from lawyers and leading experts sharing their in-depth knowledge about each case, from prison visits and courtroom battles to reexamined crime scenes and witness interviews. This gripping series reveals the tragedy of injustice&hellip;as well as the triumph that is possible when people step up and demand change.

Wrongful Conviction

Hosted by celebrated criminal justice reform advocate and founding board member of the Innocence Project Jason Flom,  Pulitzer prize-winning podcast host and producer Maggie Freleng, and Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and podcast host Lauren Bright Pacheco, Wrongful Conviction features intimate conversations with men and women who have spent years in prison for crimes they maintain they did not commit. Some have been fully exonerated and reunited with family and friends while others continue to languish, with some even facing execution on death row. Each episode peels back the layers behind the stories of those who have found themselves caught in a legal system gone wrong, with illuminating insights from lawyers and leading experts sharing their in-depth knowledge about each case, from prison visits and courtroom battles to reexamined crime scenes and witness interviews. This gripping series reveals the tragedy of injustice…as well as the triumph that is possible when people step up and demand change.

Hosted by celebrated criminal justice reform advocate and founding board member of the Innocence Project Jason Flom,&nbsp; Pulitzer prize-winning podcast host and producer Maggie Freleng, and Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and podcast host Lauren Bright Pacheco, Wrongful Conviction features intimate conversations with men and women who have spent years in prison for crimes they maintain they did not commit. Some have been fully exonerated and reunited with family and friends while others continue to languish, with some even facing execution on death row. Each episode peels back the layers behind the stories of those who have found themselves caught in a legal system gone wrong, with illuminating insights from lawyers and leading experts sharing their in-depth knowledge about each case, from prison visits and courtroom battles to reexamined crime scenes and witness interviews. This gripping series reveals the tragedy of injustice&hellip;as well as the triumph that is possible when people step up and demand change.

#134 Jason Flom with Damon Thibodeaux

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5b9ac3e4-cb80-4d49-93b3-af01015e9891/transcript

In 1998, Vanessa Gathers was wrongfully convicted of robbing and beating 71-year-old Michael Shaw to death. There was no physical evidence linking Vanessa to the crime, and her conviction was based on a false confession extracted from her by notorious New York police detective Louis Scarcella, whose tactics led to the wrongful convictions of more than a dozen people. She is joined by her attorney Lisa Cahill in this episode.

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.

In 1998, Vanessa Gathers was wrongfully convicted of robbing and beating 71-year-old Michael Shaw to death. There was no physical evidence linking Vanessa to the crime, and her conviction was based on a false confession extracted from her by notorious New York police detective Louis Scarcella, whose tactics led to the wrongful convictions of more than a dozen people. She is joined by her attorney Lisa Cahill in this episode.
<a href="https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/">Wrongful Conviction</a> &nbsp;is a production of<a href="https://lavaforgood.com/"> Lava for Good&trade; Podcasts</a> in association with<a href="https://www.signalco1.com/"> Signal Co. No1.</a>
​​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.

#560 Jason Flom with Vanessa Gathers

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/cbc6c654-60fb-4bfd-9361-b3e7017a6c4e/transcript

Ryan Ferguson was a 17-year-old high school student when Kent Heitholt, a sportswriter for the Columbia Daily Tribune, was found beaten and strangled in Missouri. Heitholt's murder went unsolved for two years until police received a tip that a man named Charles Erickson could not remember the evening of the murder and had told a friend that he thought he may have been involved. Erickson, who had spent that fateful evening partying with Ryan Ferguson, was interrogated by police and despite initially seeming to have no memory of the night of the murder, eventually confessed and implicated Ryan as well. Police offered Erickson a plea deal in exchange for testimony against Ryan at his trial in 2005. Despite the lack of any physical evidence tying Ryan Ferguson to the crime, he was convicted of second-degree murder and robbery and sentenced to 40 years in prison. 

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.

Ryan Ferguson was a 17-year-old high school student when Kent Heitholt, a sportswriter for the Columbia Daily Tribune, was found beaten and strangled in Missouri. Heitholt's murder went unsolved for two years until police received a tip that a man named Charles Erickson could not remember the evening of the murder and had told a friend that he thought he may have been involved. Erickson, who had spent that fateful evening partying with Ryan Ferguson, was interrogated by police and despite initially seeming to have no memory of the night of the murder, eventually confessed and implicated Ryan as well. Police offered Erickson a plea deal in exchange for testimony against Ryan at his trial in 2005. Despite the lack of any physical evidence tying Ryan Ferguson to the crime, he was convicted of second-degree murder and robbery and sentenced to 40 years in prison.&nbsp;
<a href="https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/">Wrongful Conviction</a> &nbsp;is a production of<a href="https://lavaforgood.com/"> Lava for Good&trade; Podcasts</a> in association with<a href="https://www.signalco1.com/"> Signal Co. No1.</a>
​​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.

#559 Jason Flom with Ryan Ferguson

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/3e2a7187-0c37-47fb-9451-b3e001755a98/transcript

Crying Wolf is a gripping true crime podcast that follows the story of Lee Harris, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to 90 years in prison after a coerced confession. In prison, he formed a deep bond with fellow inmate Robert, who vowed to clear Lee's name. After two decades of relentless effort, exposing corrupt detectives, prison informants, and with the help of a determined defense attorney, Robert succeeded. In 2023, Lee walked free—only to die suddenly a few months later.

This podcast delves into the chilling legacy of Detective Richard Zuley, notorious for extracting false confessions, and the deep-seated corruption that plagues Chicago’s justice system. With Lee gone, Robert is determined to continue the fight, exposing the city’s dark history and pursuing justice for the wrongfully convicted. Join us as we unravel a story of friendship, betrayal, and the quest for redemption.

<a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-crying-wolf-293793384/">Crying Wolf</a> is a gripping true crime podcast that follows the story of Lee Harris, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to 90 years in prison after a coerced confession. In prison, he formed a deep bond with fellow inmate Robert, who vowed to clear Lee's name. After two decades of relentless effort, exposing corrupt detectives, prison informants, and with the help of a determined defense attorney, Robert succeeded. In 2023, Lee walked free&mdash;only to die suddenly a few months later.
This podcast delves into the chilling legacy of Detective Richard Zuley, notorious for extracting false confessions, and the deep-seated corruption that plagues Chicago&rsquo;s justice system. With Lee gone, Robert is determined to continue the fight, exposing the city&rsquo;s dark history and pursuing justice for the wrongfully convicted. Join us as we unravel a story of friendship, betrayal, and the quest for redemption.

Introducing - Crying Wolf

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/90cbd5f2-c9af-441b-993b-b3df010056c8/transcript

#134 Jason Flom with Damon Thibodeaux

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