Episode
Eyewitnesses
39:52
Published: Mon Feb 27 2023
Description
It turns out, back in 1998, just days after the crime, the NYPD had a main suspect for the murder of Al Ward: a man named Mustafa. Dan tries to find out more about Mustafa and understand why this lead was dropped after JJ’s name entered the case. He also learns that JJ’s legal team had a court-assigned private investigator. Dan tracks down that private investigator, and discovers that he hardly looked into JJ’s case. He didn’t know about Mustafa and he never interviewed the eyewitnesses to the murder of Al Ward.So Dan decides to do what the private investigator didn’t do – investigate JJ’s case. In the summer of 2009, Dan finds Augustus Brown, the key witness, the man who first identified JJ. He’s incarcerated at the Elmira Correctional Facility in upstate New York. Dan pays him a visit.
Chapters
A man recalls his experience in prison and the moment he received his case file, which weighed 66 pounds, leading him to represent himself to gain access to it and work towards his freedom.
00:00 - 05:14 (05:14)
Summary
A man recalls his experience in prison and the moment he received his case file, which weighed 66 pounds, leading him to represent himself to gain access to it and work towards his freedom.
EpisodeEyewitnesses
PodcastLetters from Sing Sing
The private investigator assigned to JJ's case had not heard about Mustafa or received the names of key witnesses.
05:14 - 09:19 (04:04)
Summary
The private investigator assigned to JJ's case had not heard about Mustafa or received the names of key witnesses. Despite this, the search for Mustafa came to a close when eyewitnesses picked out a picture of someone else, however, another witness claimed Mustafa was the shooter.
EpisodeEyewitnesses
PodcastLetters from Sing Sing
A person expresses uncertainty about whether they correctly identified someone and hopes they picked the right person.
09:19 - 15:11 (05:52)
Summary
A person expresses uncertainty about whether they correctly identified someone and hopes they picked the right person.
EpisodeEyewitnesses
PodcastLetters from Sing Sing
The Conviction Integrity Unit ensures the integrity of a case pre-indictment, pre-trial or post-trial by having senior lawyers review it and make sure that justice is done.
15:11 - 23:26 (08:14)
Summary
The Conviction Integrity Unit ensures the integrity of a case pre-indictment, pre-trial or post-trial by having senior lawyers review it and make sure that justice is done. For a prosecutor to recommend or move to vacate a conviction, they must have evidence of actual innocence that was not available at the time of the trial.
EpisodeEyewitnesses
PodcastLetters from Sing Sing
A mother’s plea for justice resurfaces after her son was convicted for a crime he did not commit.
23:26 - 30:55 (07:28)
Summary
A mother’s plea for justice resurfaces after her son was convicted for a crime he did not commit. New evidence reveals questions about the integrity of the conviction, creating the hope for a possible exoneration.
EpisodeEyewitnesses
PodcastLetters from Sing Sing
A former gang member shares his story of criminal activity, including robbing and dealing drugs, while serving time in prison before ultimately turning his life around and becoming a mentor to others in his community.
30:55 - 33:18 (02:23)
Summary
A former gang member shares his story of criminal activity, including robbing and dealing drugs, while serving time in prison before ultimately turning his life around and becoming a mentor to others in his community.
EpisodeEyewitnesses
PodcastLetters from Sing Sing
The unreliability of eyewitness testimony is explored in the case of a man named JJ, whose accuser was initially uncertain about his identity but later became sure of his guilt.
33:18 - 36:04 (02:45)
Summary
The unreliability of eyewitness testimony is explored in the case of a man named JJ, whose accuser was initially uncertain about his identity but later became sure of his guilt.
EpisodeEyewitnesses
PodcastLetters from Sing Sing
A man recounts his experience serving time for a crime he did not commit, as a result of faulty eyewitness testimony.
36:04 - 39:35 (03:30)
Summary
A man recounts his experience serving time for a crime he did not commit, as a result of faulty eyewitness testimony. The podcast discusses the implications of eyewitness accounts in the criminal justice system.