Wrongful Conviction

#358 Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions - Dixmoor 5

So their theory is that a wandering necrophiliac comes across the body and defiles it? Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin tell the story of how five Chicago teens were wrongly convicted of the rape and murder of their classmate - and how prosecutors tried to explain away the DNA that proved them innocent. This case happened during the early 1990s, when the media was saturated with misleading stories about youth of color committing violent crimes in groups. This "superpredator" narrative drove the wrongful prosecution of the so-called Central Park Five “wolfpack” -- but it didn’t stop there. We are releasing this updated episode to share the news that, in 2021, Illinois passed a law banning police from lying to children during interrogations. If this law had been in place back in 1991, the Dixmoor 5 would never have been wrongfully convicted.  To learn more and get involved, visit: <a href="https://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/">https://www.centeronwrongfulconvictions.org/</a> Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions 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.