Barbara Bradley Hagerty

I knew that they had made an awful mistake when they arrested me, and I believed that it was just a matter of time before they figured that out.

I knew that they had made an awful mistake when they arrested me, and I believed that it was just a matter of time before they figured that out.

That's right. He thought the justice system would work. But in fact, it didn't. And let me tell you why. There seemed to be, on the surface at least, a strong circumstantial case against Ben. So first, there were these three eyewitnesses who knew Ben, and they swore that they saw Ben running away from the car. But that wasn't good enough for the police.

That's right. He thought the justice system would work. But in fact, it didn't. And let me tell you why. There seemed to be, on the surface at least, a strong circumstantial case against Ben. So first, there were these three eyewitnesses who knew Ben, and they swore that they saw Ben running away from the car. But that wasn't good enough for the police.

That's right. He thought the justice system would work. But in fact, it didn't. And let me tell you why. There seemed to be, on the surface at least, a strong circumstantial case against Ben. So first, there were these three eyewitnesses who knew Ben, and they swore that they saw Ben running away from the car. But that wasn't good enough for the police.

So police needed someone to connect Ben to the actual assault. And so fortunately for them, there was a jailhouse informant named Danny Edwards who came forward and he told police that Hey, Ben described the entire assault to me when he and I shared a jail cell after Ben's arrest.

So police needed someone to connect Ben to the actual assault. And so fortunately for them, there was a jailhouse informant named Danny Edwards who came forward and he told police that Hey, Ben described the entire assault to me when he and I shared a jail cell after Ben's arrest.

So police needed someone to connect Ben to the actual assault. And so fortunately for them, there was a jailhouse informant named Danny Edwards who came forward and he told police that Hey, Ben described the entire assault to me when he and I shared a jail cell after Ben's arrest.

That's right. That's right. But when you look closer at the evidence, it isn't all that compelling. So the three eyewitnesses, they wanted that $25,000 reward money. And the jailhouse informant was facing 25 years in prison, and he wanted a lighter sentence in exchange for his testimony. And I got to tell you, Aisha, this happens all the time. We see it all the time in wrongful convictions.

That's right. That's right. But when you look closer at the evidence, it isn't all that compelling. So the three eyewitnesses, they wanted that $25,000 reward money. And the jailhouse informant was facing 25 years in prison, and he wanted a lighter sentence in exchange for his testimony. And I got to tell you, Aisha, this happens all the time. We see it all the time in wrongful convictions.

That's right. That's right. But when you look closer at the evidence, it isn't all that compelling. So the three eyewitnesses, they wanted that $25,000 reward money. And the jailhouse informant was facing 25 years in prison, and he wanted a lighter sentence in exchange for his testimony. And I got to tell you, Aisha, this happens all the time. We see it all the time in wrongful convictions.

Bad eyewitness testimony is involved in 70% of wrongful convictions, either by mistake or on purpose. And the jailhouse informants, those guys have incentive to lie to get a shorter sentence. So police use them all the time. to close cases, especially weak cases.

Bad eyewitness testimony is involved in 70% of wrongful convictions, either by mistake or on purpose. And the jailhouse informants, those guys have incentive to lie to get a shorter sentence. So police use them all the time. to close cases, especially weak cases.

Bad eyewitness testimony is involved in 70% of wrongful convictions, either by mistake or on purpose. And the jailhouse informants, those guys have incentive to lie to get a shorter sentence. So police use them all the time. to close cases, especially weak cases.

You know, experts tell me that the United States is the only Western country to use people in jail, people who are probably not that trustworthy to close a case. And, you know, the more serious a crime, the more likely police are to use informants. If you look at innocent people who are sentenced to death and then exonerated, jailhouse informants put them there 25% of the time.

You know, experts tell me that the United States is the only Western country to use people in jail, people who are probably not that trustworthy to close a case. And, you know, the more serious a crime, the more likely police are to use informants. If you look at innocent people who are sentenced to death and then exonerated, jailhouse informants put them there 25% of the time.

You know, experts tell me that the United States is the only Western country to use people in jail, people who are probably not that trustworthy to close a case. And, you know, the more serious a crime, the more likely police are to use informants. If you look at innocent people who are sentenced to death and then exonerated, jailhouse informants put them there 25% of the time.

That's exactly right. Yeah. But other than the jailhouse informant and the eyewitnesses, there was zero, nothing connecting Ben to the crime. There weren't fingerprints. There wasn't blood. Police never found the victim's stolen property at Ben's house when they searched it. They never even found a murder weapon.

That's exactly right. Yeah. But other than the jailhouse informant and the eyewitnesses, there was zero, nothing connecting Ben to the crime. There weren't fingerprints. There wasn't blood. Police never found the victim's stolen property at Ben's house when they searched it. They never even found a murder weapon.

That's exactly right. Yeah. But other than the jailhouse informant and the eyewitnesses, there was zero, nothing connecting Ben to the crime. There weren't fingerprints. There wasn't blood. Police never found the victim's stolen property at Ben's house when they searched it. They never even found a murder weapon.