On April 28th, 1989, 18-year-old Francisco Benitez was having a normal day. He picked up his paycheck, got a haircut, then went to his friend’s house to watch Beetlejuice on HBO. That same night two teenage boys were shot and killed. An eyewitness said as the shooter ran from the scene, she noticed that he had a fresh haircut. Despite no other similarities between Frank and her description of the shooter, not to mention no physical evidence, Frank was ultimately convicted of the crimes and sentenced to life without parole.

The prison environment was violent and dangerous, Frank says he often wondered “is this the day that I’m going to die in prison?” But his mother Betty was steadfast in her love and her belief in Frank’s innocence. She told him over and over to never give up, even after 34 years, to keep believing that a brighter day is coming.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

Francisco Benitez Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/innocent-man-exonerated-after-34-years

University of Chicago Law School Exoneration Project: https://www.law.uchicago.edu/clinics/exoneration

Loevy & Loevy Civil Rights Law Firm: https://www.loevy.com/

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

On April 28th, 1989, 18-year-old Francisco Benitez was having a normal day. He picked up his paycheck, got a haircut, then went to his friend’s house to watch Beetlejuice on HBO. That same night two teenage boys were shot and killed. An eyewitness said as the shooter ran from the scene, she noticed that he had a fresh haircut. Despite no other similarities between Frank and her description of the shooter, not to mention no physical evidence, Frank was ultimately convicted of the crimes and sentenced to life without parole.
The prison environment was violent and dangerous, Frank says he often wondered “is this the day that I’m going to die in prison?” But his mother Betty was steadfast in her love and her belief in Frank’s innocence. She told him over and over to never give up, even after 34 years, to keep believing that a brighter day is coming.
To learn more and get involved, visit:
Francisco Benitez Go Fund Me: <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/innocent-man-exonerated-after-34-years" data-stringify-link="https://www.gofundme.com/f/innocent-man-exonerated-after-34-years" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://www.gofundme.com/f/innocent-man-exonerated-after-34-years</a>
University of Chicago Law School Exoneration Project: <a href="https://www.law.uchicago.edu/clinics/exoneration" data-stringify-link="https://www.law.uchicago.edu/clinics/exoneration" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://www.law.uchicago.edu/clinics/exoneration</a>
Loevy &amp; Loevy Civil Rights Law Firm: <a href="https://www.loevy.com/" data-stringify-link="https://www.loevy.com/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://www.loevy.com/</a> 
Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

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…as well as the triumph that is possible when people step up and demand change.

Wrongful Conviction

In 2007, Chris Vaughn was arrested during a funeral for his wife and three children. He would be tried and convicted of their murders. To this day he maintains no memory of what occurred that tragic day 20 years ago. Murder in Illinois follows the complicated circumstances that led to Vaughn’s conviction, as well as the forensic evidence his supporters believe proves his innocence- in attempt to answer one question: Who killed the Vaughn family?

In 2007, Chris Vaughn was arrested during a funeral for his wife and three children. He would be tried and convicted of their murders. To this day he maintains no memory of what occurred that tragic day 20 years ago. Murder in Illinois follows the complicated circumstances that led to Vaughn’s conviction, as well as the forensic evidence his supporters believe proves his innocence- in attempt to answer one question: Who killed the Vaughn family?

Murder in Illinois

Hosted by celebrated criminal justice reform advocate and founding board member of the Innocence Project Jason Flom, and Pulitzer prize-winning podcast host and producer Maggie Freleng, 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, and Pulitzer prize-winning podcast host and producer Maggie Freleng, 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.

#456 Lauren Bright Pacheco with Frank Benitez

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/10759134-4035-41d2-8776-b18b003d889f/transcript

Since releasing the 500th episode of Wrongful Conviction earlier this month, we thought it appropriate to spotlight some episodes from the very first season of Wrongful Conviction.

On the afternoon of November 4, 1986, the body of an African-American woman was found lying under a blanket near a busy highway in Brooklyn, NY. She had been strangled to death. A witness told Detective Louis Eppolito that he had been jogging on the day of the crime and had seen a white man and a black woman sitting in a gray car parked by the highway. The man said he then watched the white man walk to the passenger side of the car and pull out a body, lay it on the ground and place a blanket over it. Eppolito learned that Barry Gibbs knew the victim and closed in. Barry was charged and convicted of second-degree murder primarily on the testimony of the jogger who later recanted. Jason Flom, Barry Scheck (Co-Founder of The Innocence Project) and Vanessa Potkin (Director of Special Litigation for The Innocence Project) sit down with Barry Gibbs as he details his unfathomable odyssey.

To learn more, visit:

https://innocenceproject.org/cases/barry-gibbs/

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.

 

Since releasing the 500th episode of Wrongful Conviction earlier this month, we thought it appropriate to spotlight some episodes from the very first season of Wrongful Conviction.
On the afternoon of November 4, 1986, the body of an African-American woman was found lying under a blanket near a busy highway in Brooklyn, NY. She had been strangled to death. A witness told Detective Louis Eppolito that he had been jogging on the day of the crime and had seen a white man and a black woman sitting in a gray car parked by the highway. The man said he then watched the white man walk to the passenger side of the car and pull out a body, lay it on the ground and place a blanket over it. Eppolito learned that Barry Gibbs knew the victim and closed in. Barry was charged and convicted of second-degree murder primarily on the testimony of the jogger who later recanted. Jason Flom, Barry Scheck (Co-Founder of The Innocence Project) and Vanessa Potkin (Director of Special Litigation for The Innocence Project) sit down with Barry Gibbs as he details his unfathomable odyssey.
To learn more, visit:
<a href="https://innocenceproject.org/cases/barry-gibbs/">https://innocenceproject.org/cases/barry-gibbs/</a>
Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava For Good&trade; 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.
&nbsp;

#503 Jason Flom and Barry Scheck with Barry Gibbs

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/cae98283-2fde-4727-9065-b24b0034ff72/transcript

On December 31st, 2009, in Detroit, MI, J.B. Watson was shot in a van while stopped at a red light. Witnesses identified Darrell Ewing as the shooter. Despite Ewing's corroborated alibi of attending a funeral at the Barden Hall Funeral Home at the time of the shooting, he was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. 

To learn more and get involved:
Follow Darrell - https://www.instagram.com/mrbeattheodds/?hl=en

Read Diane Bukowski’s reporting on Detroit and the judicial system - https://voiceofdetroit.net/author/diane-bukowski/

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.

On December 31st, 2009, in Detroit, MI, J.B. Watson was shot in a van while stopped at a red light. Witnesses identified Darrell Ewing as the shooter. Despite Ewing's corroborated alibi of attending a funeral at the Barden Hall Funeral Home at the time of the shooting, he was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.&nbsp;
To learn more and get involved: Follow Darrell - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mrbeattheodds/?hl=en">https://www.instagram.com/mrbeattheodds/?hl=en</a>
Read Diane Bukowski&rsquo;s reporting on Detroit and the judicial system - <a href="https://voiceofdetroit.net/author/diane-bukowski/">https://voiceofdetroit.net/author/diane-bukowski/</a>
Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good&trade; 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.

#502 Maggie Freleng with Darrell Ewing

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/69a5b5fc-c1c8-4dda-9273-b246012eaaac/transcript

This is a special episode of Wrongful Conviction, featuring guests Delia D'Ambra, host of Audiochuck's CounterClock, and Frances Watson, President of the Indiana Innocence Project.

In Lakeville, Indiana in 1989, Reverend Bob Pelley, his wife Dawn, and Bob’s step-daughters, Janel and Jolene were found shot to death in their home. Bob’s teenage son, Jeff Pelley, was a suspect due to ongoing tensions with his father, which were exacerbated by him restricting Jeff’s ability to attend prom night activities. Jeff claimed to have left home to pick up his girlfriend, but inconsistencies in his alibi and the timeline raised suspicions. Jeff was ultimately charged with the murders in 2002, over a decade after they took place, and convicted in 2006 based on circumstantial evidence. He was sentenced to 160 years in prison. Jeff Pelley has consistently maintained his innocence, and post-conviction litigation raised alternate theories, including alleged ties between Bob Pelley and organized crime from his past life in Florida, potentially involving his friends and the Hawley family who were implicated in various financial crimes. Testimony from a woman supported the theory that Bob might have been targeted for his past illegal financial activities. However, this evidence was deemed inadmissible, and Jeff's requests for a new trial have been repeatedly denied.

To hear more on this case, click the link below to listen to season 3 of Delia D'Ambra's CounterClock, from Audiochuck:

https://counterclockpodcast.com/season-three/

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://indianainnocenceproject.org/frances-watson-president/

https://www.justiceforjeff.org/

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.

 

This is a special episode of Wrongful Conviction,&nbsp;featuring guests Delia D'Ambra, host of Audiochuck's&nbsp;CounterClock,&nbsp;and Frances Watson, President of the Indiana Innocence Project.
In Lakeville, Indiana in 1989, Reverend Bob Pelley, his wife Dawn, and Bob&rsquo;s step-daughters, Janel and Jolene were found shot to death in their home. Bob&rsquo;s teenage son, Jeff Pelley, was a suspect due to ongoing tensions with his father, which were exacerbated by him restricting Jeff&rsquo;s ability to attend prom night activities. Jeff claimed to have left home to pick up his girlfriend, but inconsistencies in his alibi and the timeline raised suspicions. Jeff was ultimately charged with the murders in 2002, over a decade after they took place, and convicted in 2006 based on circumstantial evidence. He was sentenced to 160 years in prison. Jeff Pelley has consistently maintained his innocence, and post-conviction litigation raised alternate theories, including alleged ties between Bob Pelley and organized crime from his past life in Florida, potentially involving his friends and the Hawley family who were implicated in various financial crimes. Testimony from a woman supported the theory that Bob might have been targeted for his past illegal financial activities. However, this evidence was deemed inadmissible, and Jeff's requests for a new trial have been repeatedly denied.
To hear more on this case, click the link below to listen to season 3 of Delia D'Ambra's CounterClock,&nbsp;from&nbsp;Audiochuck:
<a href="https://counterclockpodcast.com/season-three/">https://counterclockpodcast.com/season-three/</a>
To learn more and get involved, visit:
<a href="https://indianainnocenceproject.org/frances-watson-president/">https://indianainnocenceproject.org/frances-watson-president/</a>
<a href="https://www.justiceforjeff.org/">https://www.justiceforjeff.org/</a>
Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good&trade; 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.
&nbsp;

#501 Jason Flom with Delia D'Ambra on Jeff Pelley

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e19eb68e-d0b2-4fa3-8fed-b24400585efb/transcript

#456 Lauren Bright Pacheco with Frank Benitez

Murder in Illinois

In 2 playlist(s)

Wrongful Conviction

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips