On April 9, 1997, shortly after midnight in Buffalo, NY, Officers Charles “Skip” McDougald and Michael Martinez were patrolling near Northampton and East Parade in Buffalo’s East Side when they observed what they described as a “suspicious person.” According to police accounts, when they approached, the individual produced a handgun and fired. Officer McDougald was struck in the chest and fatally wounded, and Officer Martinez was shot and seriously injured but survived. Nineteen-year-old Jonathan Parker was convicted for the shooting death of Officer McDougald and the attempted murder of Officer Martinez, and was sentenced to life without parole plus consecutive terms. The prosecution’s case rested heavily on eyewitness testimony and seized items, while Parker has consistently maintained his innocence.

To learn more and get involved, please visit:

https://www.instagram.com/metcalflawnyc/

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/159-jason-flom-with-keyontay-ricks/

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/s1e1-us-senator-dick-durbin-on-ending-mass-incarceration/

Or call:

Steven Metcalf: 631.521.1499

StevenAlan@metcalflawnyc.com

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

​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maggie Freleng, along with Executive Producers Gilbert King and Jason Flom bring you the first episode of Maggie’s new documentary series, years in the making: Bone Valley Season 3 | GRAVES COUNTY.

In it Maggie takes us to a small town in Graves County, Kentucky, where a terrible discovery on the front lawn of a middle school invites a string of amateur and professional investigators to try to solve a murder. Maggie is the latest investigator to get pulled in. And she’ll take all of us along as she teases out this complicated web of rumors and lies, and perhaps even the truth.

In this special preview of Chapter 1, we hear from Victoria Caldwell. Her account of the killing of Jessica Currin would become the driving force in the conviction of Quincy Cross and others for the murder of Jessica Currin.

You can hear Chapter 2 right now in the Bone Valley feed. New episodes of Bone Valley Season 3 | GRAVES COUNTY are available every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. To binge the entire season, ad-free, subscribe to Lava for Good+ on Apple Podcasts.

Tomorrow we’ll bring you the next, new episode of Wrongful Conviction.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the night of February 4, 2011, Avalisa Morris was shot and killed at a birthday party in the basement of a two-family home in Queens, NY. The fatal gunshots were fired from outside the party, through the closed door of the entrance to the basement. Even though no eyewitnesses placed Allen at the door with a weapon, he was tried under an acting-in-concert theory, and convicted of second‑degree manslaughter and related firearms charges. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

To learn more and get involved, please visit:

https://www.instagram.com/brukky_freewise/

https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2024/09/18/tim-pearson-investigation

https://jacobin.com/2024/10/timothy-pearson-nyc-asylum-seekers

https://www.netflix.com/title/80187052

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Season 1 of Bone Valley, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gilbert King tells a story of a man, Leo Schofield, fighting to prove his innocence in the case of his wife Michelle’s murder.

In Season 2, “JEREMY” Gilbert King brings us a story about her actual killer, Jeremy Scott, fighting to prove his guilt. The State of Florida does not believe either man.

Bone Valley Season 3 | GRAVES COUNTY is a new story about a new case. A story that shares many familiar themes with the first two seasons of Bone Valley - an unspeakable crime, a dubious investigation, half-truths that ensnare innocent people, and heartbroken families caught in the middle.

GRAVES COUNTY is hosted by Maggie Freleng, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the hosts of Lava For Good’s Wrongful Conviction and is executive produced by Gilbert King.

Maggie is going to take us to a small town in Graves County, Kentucky, where a terrible discovery on the front lawn of a middle school invites a string of amateur and professional investigators to try to solve a murder. Maggie is the latest investigator to get pulled in. And she’ll take all of us along as she teases out this complicated web of rumors and lies, and perhaps even the truth.

Bone Valley Season 3 | GRAVES COUNTY will be available every Wednesday beginning September 17 wherever you get your podcasts. To binge the entire season, ad-free, starting September 17, subscribe to Lava for Good+ on Apple Podcasts.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

18-year-old Jessica Currin’s burned and decomposing body was discovered on August 1, 2000 behind Mayfield Middle School in Mayfield, KY. Jessica had lacerations on the back of her head, nose and chin, and stab wounds. The medical examiner also believed she had been strangled but there was no evidence to support this theory. The case went cold for a few years, until a couple of supposed eyewitnesses came forward, motivated by promises of reward money, and told inconsistent stories that they and multiple others had kidnapped, killed, and raped Jessica. They said Quincy Cross was one of the people involved, and that he was the person who hit and strangled Jessica. Based on this unreliable testimony, as well as a jailhouse snitch, and despite a lack of physical evidence connecting him to this crime, Quincy was convicted of the kidnapping, rape and murder of Jessica Currin and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Maggie Freleng talks to Quincy Cross and Miranda Hellman, Quincy's attorney.

To learn more and get involved, please visit:

https://www.change.org/p/free-quincy-cross

www.kentuckyinnocenceproject.org

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s, the US found itself wrapped up in the “Satanic Panic” - a general state of fear revolving around Satanism and satanic ritual, real or imagined. On May 5th, 1993, in West Memphis, AR, three 8-year-old boys—Steven Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers—were reported missing. Their lifeless bodies were found the following day in a Robin Hood Hills creek, naked and hogtied. Christopher Byers had suffered lacerations, and his genitals had been mutilated. Details of the bizarre and brutal scene in Robin Hood Hills brought Satanic Panic to a fever pitch in the largely conservative Christian city of West Memphis. Coming off their first film success with Brother’s Keeper, documentarians Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky were tapped by HBO documentaries to head down to get the story. Joe Berlinger sits with Jason Flom and recalls his experience of the case, the moments that inspired his fight for criminal justice reform, and the films and events that have helped shape public opinion of wrongful convictions.

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

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calvin "Cal" Harris was charged with the murder of his estranged wife Michele Harris, who disappeared in September 2001 from their home in Spencer, NY. Despite no body being found, Cal was tried four times and eventually acquitted in 2016. He later filed federal and state lawsuits alleging malicious prosecution and evidence fabrication. His case highlights investigative tunnel vision, suppressed evidence, and ongoing questions about who was truly responsible for Michele's disappearance.

To learn more and get involved:

www.findmicheleharris.com
https://www.youtube.com/@thecalharrispodcast7593/streams

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

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On February 1, 1997, Charles Newsome, a member of the 18th Street Group was murdered while driving through the Mayfair Apartments in West Memphis, AR. The city was caught in a wave of retaliatory violence between two groups: Foxwood and 18th Street.
Kendrick Gillum, who was loosely affiliated with Foxwood, became a suspect based on inconsistent and coerced witness testimony from a single eyewitness who initially told police that he did not see anyone at the scene of the crime. The State had no evidence Kendrick was ever at the crime scene, never established motive, and had the testimony of Tarsha LeFlore who confirmed he was with her at her apartment the night of the shooting. Nevertheless, Kendrick was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

To learn more and get involved:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLX2P0bt49U
https://www.instagram.com/freekendricgillum/?hl=en
https://www.unjustandunsolved.com/post/episode-10-demarco-wilson
https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/017-jason-flom-and-barry-scheck-with-jason-baldwin/
https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/073-jason-flom-with-damien-echols-live-from-the-church-of-rock-and-roll/
https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/095-jason-flom-with-joe-berlinger/

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

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.