Wrongful Conviction

#420 Maggie Freleng with Wilson Rivera

On September 15, 1993, two gunmen entered a home in Detroit, Michigan, and murdered Lavonda Brown and her son, 20-year old Douglas Williams. Detroit police rounded up  a number of suspects, questioning them for hours, including Wilson Rivera. Wilson had a solid alibi for that night. Not only that - the shooter had actually confessed to Wilson that he’d done it.  “I asked Roger, like, what's going on?” Wilson recalls. “And he explained to me what had actually taken place with the murder. I’m assuming the facts are gonna bear me out.” But one by one, the other suspects were dropped from the investigation. By the time the trial began, Wilson was the only one left. To learn more and get involved, visit: <a href="https://www.freewilsonrivera.com/donations/">https://www.freewilsonrivera.com/donations/</a> Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

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.