Ashley Flowers

Because there's nothing else to, like, refute. Their one expert witness is just to refute the drawing stuff. So it feels like there's no case here. And it feels like everyone can see where this is going.

Because there's nothing else to, like, refute. Their one expert witness is just to refute the drawing stuff. So it feels like there's no case here. And it feels like everyone can see where this is going.

Over the past year, Brett, we've covered more potential and confirmed wrongful convictions than I think ever before. And we've been really fortunate to, like, play some roles in, I mean, like James Rayos' exoneration. We just this last year did a $1 million endowment to help start the Indiana branch of the Innocence Project. Because we're realizing that this is happening all the time.

Over the past year, Brett, we've covered more potential and confirmed wrongful convictions than I think ever before. And we've been really fortunate to, like, play some roles in, I mean, like James Rayos' exoneration. We just this last year did a $1 million endowment to help start the Indiana branch of the Innocence Project. Because we're realizing that this is happening all the time.

And it's not always this obvious as it is in Tim's case. Right. But it is happening and we have to fix it. And I don't mean you and me sitting here on this couch, like in our studio. I mean, we as in the crime junkie community, you guys listening, you are the jurors. You are the voters. You are the ones in your community making change, making decisions, making things happen.

And it's not always this obvious as it is in Tim's case. Right. But it is happening and we have to fix it. And I don't mean you and me sitting here on this couch, like in our studio. I mean, we as in the crime junkie community, you guys listening, you are the jurors. You are the voters. You are the ones in your community making change, making decisions, making things happen.

And I know that it can feel painful. So overwhelming. Like anytime there is a big problem and you realize a system is broken, it's like, how am I as one person going to fix this? But it takes one person and you don't have to fix it like overnight. Like that's not how stuff happens, right? Like you have to find the one thing that you care about and just take the one next step.

And I know that it can feel painful. So overwhelming. Like anytime there is a big problem and you realize a system is broken, it's like, how am I as one person going to fix this? But it takes one person and you don't have to fix it like overnight. Like that's not how stuff happens, right? Like you have to find the one thing that you care about and just take the one next step.

And in this one, I mean, to figure out who killed Peggy Hetrick, the thing is Tim's wrongful conviction. And in a weird twist that we don't see very often is. Even Peggy's family wasn't super sold on the idea that Tim did it.

And in this one, I mean, to figure out who killed Peggy Hetrick, the thing is Tim's wrongful conviction. And in a weird twist that we don't see very often is. Even Peggy's family wasn't super sold on the idea that Tim did it.

I mean, they sat through the trial and at the end, they like didn't understand a conviction just based on drawings, but they had this mentality of something that we've said on the show before. Like, well, there must be something the police know that we don't know.

I mean, they sat through the trial and at the end, they like didn't understand a conviction just based on drawings, but they had this mentality of something that we've said on the show before. Like, well, there must be something the police know that we don't know.

But they could, they would, and they did. And so Tim gets carted off to Buena Vista Correctional Complex, where every day he wakes up in a cage for a crime he didn't commit. He takes classes. He works out. He gets a job in prison. All the while, his defense team is filing appeal after appeal. Appeals that are getting denied by the Court of Appeals.

But they could, they would, and they did. And so Tim gets carted off to Buena Vista Correctional Complex, where every day he wakes up in a cage for a crime he didn't commit. He takes classes. He works out. He gets a job in prison. All the while, his defense team is filing appeal after appeal. Appeals that are getting denied by the Court of Appeals.

Appeals that get denied by the Supreme Court of Colorado.

Appeals that get denied by the Supreme Court of Colorado.

Exactly. Which is why at some point, Tim no longer even has lawyers and he's doing more appeals on his own, which if he wasn't optimistic before, I mean, the system like took any optimism out of him. But lawyers couldn't get these things through the court system. Like he's learning how to file an appeal for the first time at the same time he's trying to learn how to use Microsoft Word.

Exactly. Which is why at some point, Tim no longer even has lawyers and he's doing more appeals on his own, which if he wasn't optimistic before, I mean, the system like took any optimism out of him. But lawyers couldn't get these things through the court system. Like he's learning how to file an appeal for the first time at the same time he's trying to learn how to use Microsoft Word.

He is less optimistic than ever. And what happened to Tim and what happened to Peggy, I mean, it not only changed Tim's life and Tim's outlook, it changed the lives and outlook of so many people. including Linda Wheeler, one of the early detectives.

He is less optimistic than ever. And what happened to Tim and what happened to Peggy, I mean, it not only changed Tim's life and Tim's outlook, it changed the lives and outlook of so many people. including Linda Wheeler, one of the early detectives.