IN THIS EPISODE: The Hall's TRUE CRIME Saga continues. DONNA HALL's stepdad - MASTER CRIMIINAL John Hall - plunged the Halls into two of Philadelphia's most notorious UNSOLVED MURDERS. The Philly PD's favorite snitch, John Hall concocted his FALSE CONFESSIONS - supposedly made by other prisoners - to lessen his own considerable legal jeopardy. The first confession put an innocent man named WALTER OGROD on DEATH ROW for 24 years. This is how that happened.

STORY NOTES

John Hall didn't turn my family into criminals. More like, he was the accelerant that sent us over the edge. In very little time, he'd plunge my family into two of Philadelphia's most notorious unsolved murders!

The first concerned a murdered little girl named BARBARA JEAN. As you'll hear - with the considerable assistance of journalist TOM LOWENSTEIN (The New Orleans Innocence Project and THE TRIALS OF WALTER OGROD) - a floundering Philadelphia police investigation turned its focus on a neighbor of Barbara Jean's - Walter Ogrod. Poor police work and corruption led the two lead investigators to pressure and coerce Walter into a confession that simply didn't jibe with any of the evidence.

Walter's first jury noticed that. And they were told - and took into account - the fact that Walter is on the autism spectrum and that he was severely sleep deprived at his first interrogation. The one where, after thirteen hours of intense questioning, he confessed (though without ever speaking to or having access to a lawyer!). That first jury was on the verge of acquitting Walt when one of the jurors recanted, forcing the judge to declare a mistrial.

At Walter's second trial, the prosecution managed to exclude most of Walter's defense while basing their whole case on a brand new jailhouse confession provided by John Hall (run through a second inmate named Jay Walchansky).

Want to know how powerful bullshit can be? In the face of all the logic problems created by Walt's new, bullshit confession, the prosecution insisted that the jury believe the confession at all costs. That confession ultimately put Walt on Death Row for 24 years!

But, wouldn't ya know it? There's a twist!

We cannot recommend highly enough that you buy and read Tom Lowenstein's "THE TRIALS OF WALTER OGROD". You can buy it here at Amazon or here at Goodreads.

The Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.

CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.

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