On August 16, 1981, shots were fired from a gangway into Piotrowski Park on the southwest side of Chicago, IL. As a result, two people were fatally shot, and another was injured. Initially, the police identified two men as their main suspects, but ultimately dropped those leads. Due to a combination of unethical interrogation techniques and faulty eyewitness testimony, a few members of the Two-Six Street Gang were arrested for the crime, including 18-year-old David Ayala. Despite multiple defense witnesses and no physical evidence tying him to the crime, David was convicted and sentenced to life without parole.

To learn more and get involved, visit:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/new-beginnings-for-david-ayala-support-his-reint?qid=62fe5c8abaa69bfeac6d1d0d370dda17

https://www.bonjeanlaw.com/

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2003, 20-year-old Jofama Coleman was just getting his life together - he had a stable job, a nice place to live, a girlfriend, and a baby on the way. After a tumultuous childhood, things were finally going well. Then one day the police came to his workplace to question him about a murder in his Los Angeles, CA neighborhood. Due to faulty eyewitness testimony, Jofama was ultimately convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

17 years later, mom and educator Jessica Jacobs got obsessed with true crime documentaries during the pandemic. She was inspired to get involved in the fight against wrongful convictions, eventually joining forces with legendary defense attorney Ellen Eggers to help Jofama argue his case. Their friendship is built on their shared belief in education, persistence and the power of self advocacy.

To learn more, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jofama-colemans-justice-after-freedom?qid=dc334dfea004ee8a055ef2f9ec03f1b1

https://www.ditchschool.org

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On April 8, 1995, Reggie Lewis’s body was found in a creek behind the Dalebridge Apartments in Warrensville Heights, OH. He had two gunshot wounds to the back of his head. Willie and Ashunte Smith are serving life sentences for his murder based on testimony by their own cousin, William Marshall. Marshall recanted in 2022 and now swears it was actually his uncle who committed the crime but Marshall was so frightened at the time—by his uncle and the police—he was pressured into lying under oath and sending his cousins to prison.

The Ohio courts recently granted Willie and Ashunte a new trial.

To learn more, visit:
https://www.kimlawcrimlaw.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kimlawcrimlaw/?hl=en

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Bright was wrongfully convicted in New Orleans, LA for the murder of Elliot Porter in 1975. He would spend more than 27 years in Angola, the notorious prison in Louisiana built on a former slave plantation, and in many ways still run like one today. While incarcerated, Greg not only taught himself to read and write, he also learned enough about the law to challenge his conviction.

After his release in 2003, he met Lara Naughton, a compassion trainer and creative writing teacher. Together they created a one man show about Greg’s experience titled Never Fight a Shark in Water. The creative process helped both of them process trauma and explore what it means to embrace forgiveness and compassion.

To learn more, visit:

Lara Naughton’s memoir The Jaguar Man: https://centralrecoverypress.com/product/the-jaguar-man

Never Fight a Shark in Water: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0W-L6Yvojc

The Historic New Orleans Collection: https://www.hnoc.org/exhibitions/captive-state-louisiana-and-making-mass-incarceration

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On January 24, 2001, a man was fatally shot while being chased from a home in Detroit, MI. Anthony Legion was one of three men who were identified as being in the home at the time of the shooting, but no one claimed to have witnessed it. Due to a combination of questionable police tactics and false testimony from a jailhouse informant, Anthony was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://anthonylegion.com/

https://organizationofexonerees.com/

https://www.safeandjustmi.org/

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/425-jason-flom-with-larry-smith-jr/

We started the Wrongful Conviction podcast to provide a voice to innocent people in prison.
We want to hear your voices, too.
So call us at 833-207-4666 and leave us a message.
Tell us how these powerful, often tragic and sometimes triumphant, stories make you feel.
Shocked?
Inspired?
Motivated?
We want to know!
We may even include your story in a future episode.
And hey, the more of you that join in, the more power our collective voices will have.
So tell a friend to listen and to call us too at 833-207-4666

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part 1, the Beaman family’s lives were torn apart by Alan’s wrongful conviction for the murder of Jennifer Lockmiller. It would take 13 years and the best legal team they could find to finally get Alan out of prison.
But the story never ends when a wrongfully convicted person is released. Alan’s wife Gretchen joins the conversation to discuss the ripple effects of American Injustice, even decades later.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On January 14, 2009, sixteen-month-old Benjamin Kingan died after being in daycare at a suburb outside of Chicago, IL. Despite no physical signs of abuse or injury, police took 22-year-old Melissa Calusinski, an employee at the daycare, in for extensive questioning. Melissa repeatedly told officers she had nothing to do with the baby’s death, but after nine hours of interrogation, she falsely confessed to throwing the baby on the ground. The state relied on the later disproven theory that Benjamin died from a skull fracture, junk science testimony from medical professionals, and Melissa’s false confession to sentence her to 31 years in prison for first-degree murder.

Write your letters of support for Melissa’s clemency petition to IL Governor Pritzker and send to:

attorneys@zellnerlawoffices.com

Letters are due by 7/8/2024

https://www.kathleentzellner.com/melissa-calusinski

https://www.facebook.com/groups/740709216037007/

We started the Wrongful Conviction podcast to provide a voice to innocent people in prison.
We want to hear your voices, too.
So call us at 833-207-4666 and leave us a message.
Tell us how these powerful, often tragic and sometimes triumphant, stories make you feel.
Shocked?
Inspired?
Motivated?
We want to know!
We may even include your story in a future episode.
And hey, the more of you that join in, the more power our collective voices will have.
So tell a friend to listen and to call us too at 833-207-4666

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan Beaman was 21 years old when his life was forever altered. Going into his senior year in college, he suddenly found himself ensnared in the Normal, IL murder investigation of his former girlfriend, Jennifer Lockmiller. Despite a total lack of evidence, Alan was arrested just weeks before his graduation. He was ultimately convicted of murder and sentenced to 50 years.
Through it all, his parents Carol and Barry fought for their son and did their best to keep his spirits high. Come back for part 2 and the conclusion of the Beaman’s incredible story.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.