Wrongful Conviction

#258 Maggie Freleng with Melvin Ortiz

On December 23, 1997, a botched robbery at a popular pizza restaurant in Reading, PA resulted in the death of its beloved owner, George Clauser. A reward in the paper led police to 19 year old Melvin Ortiz, when two individuals with obvious agendas implicated him. Despite 19 alibi witnesses placing Melvin at a birthday party at the time of the crime, Melvin was sentenced to spend life in prison without parole. Maggie speaks to Melvin Ortiz at SCI - Dallas, PA., Marc Howard J.D., Melvin's advocate, and Victoria Blanco, Melvin's fiancee. To learn more and get involved, visit: If anyone has any information on this case, please email freemelvinortiz@gmail.com <a href="https://www.freemelvinortiz.org/">https://www.freemelvinortiz.org/</a>  @freemelvinortiz on instagram, twitter, facebook, tiktok <a href="https://www.change.org/p/pennsylvania-attorney-general-josh-shapiro-justice-for-melvin-ortiz-and-investigation-into-murder-of-george-clauser">https://www.change.org/MelvinOrtiz</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/freemelvinortiz/">https://www.instagram.com/freemelvinortiz/</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNCpeXu5tURsdkRezBY2EVQ">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNCpeXu5tURsdkRezBY2EVQ</a> <a href="https://fundly.com/support-ortiz-family">https://fundly.com/support-ortiz-family</a> https://lavaforgood.com/with-maggie-freleng/ 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.