Barbara Bradley Hagerty

They said, no, you know what? We don't agree. There's no DNA in this case. Sorry, Ben. You're going to have to spend the rest of your life in prison.

They said, no, you know what? We don't agree. There's no DNA in this case. Sorry, Ben. You're going to have to spend the rest of your life in prison.

They said, no, you know what? We don't agree. There's no DNA in this case. Sorry, Ben. You're going to have to spend the rest of your life in prison.

You know, the problem is that in Texas, they have a very high standard to reverse a conviction and declare someone innocent. They actually call it a Herculean burden. And essentially what they need is brand new, indisputable evidence, like DNA evidence or maybe videotape that shows up that clearly shows that this person wasn't the perpetrator, but this other person was.

You know, the problem is that in Texas, they have a very high standard to reverse a conviction and declare someone innocent. They actually call it a Herculean burden. And essentially what they need is brand new, indisputable evidence, like DNA evidence or maybe videotape that shows up that clearly shows that this person wasn't the perpetrator, but this other person was.

You know, the problem is that in Texas, they have a very high standard to reverse a conviction and declare someone innocent. They actually call it a Herculean burden. And essentially what they need is brand new, indisputable evidence, like DNA evidence or maybe videotape that shows up that clearly shows that this person wasn't the perpetrator, but this other person was.

And none of that existed in Ben's case. After the high court's rejection, everyone fighting for Ben's freedom was simply devastated. And when I interviewed Ben, it's not really something he wanted to talk about. It was just too painful for him.

And none of that existed in Ben's case. After the high court's rejection, everyone fighting for Ben's freedom was simply devastated. And when I interviewed Ben, it's not really something he wanted to talk about. It was just too painful for him.

And none of that existed in Ben's case. After the high court's rejection, everyone fighting for Ben's freedom was simply devastated. And when I interviewed Ben, it's not really something he wanted to talk about. It was just too painful for him.

Yeah, I mean, basically, I was trying to tell the story of how broken the system is. I think people didn't realize that even if a judge declared a person innocent, he can't get out of prison. I mean, how crazy is that? But, you know, Aisha, I had this crazy hope of finding new evidence. So I went to Dallas and I teamed up with Daryl Parker.

Yeah, I mean, basically, I was trying to tell the story of how broken the system is. I think people didn't realize that even if a judge declared a person innocent, he can't get out of prison. I mean, how crazy is that? But, you know, Aisha, I had this crazy hope of finding new evidence. So I went to Dallas and I teamed up with Daryl Parker.

Yeah, I mean, basically, I was trying to tell the story of how broken the system is. I think people didn't realize that even if a judge declared a person innocent, he can't get out of prison. I mean, how crazy is that? But, you know, Aisha, I had this crazy hope of finding new evidence. So I went to Dallas and I teamed up with Daryl Parker.

He's that former police officer we heard earlier who became a private investigator. I teamed up with him.

He's that former police officer we heard earlier who became a private investigator. I teamed up with him.

He's that former police officer we heard earlier who became a private investigator. I teamed up with him.

Yeah, yeah. And the thing is, we had to provide new evidence, not just the evidence. Jim's evidence didn't even count anymore. We needed to find something new. But, you know, Daryl and I spent weeks knocking on doors all over Dallas. And... I got to tell you, I was amazed at what we found 30 years after the crime.

Yeah, yeah. And the thing is, we had to provide new evidence, not just the evidence. Jim's evidence didn't even count anymore. We needed to find something new. But, you know, Daryl and I spent weeks knocking on doors all over Dallas. And... I got to tell you, I was amazed at what we found 30 years after the crime.

Yeah, yeah. And the thing is, we had to provide new evidence, not just the evidence. Jim's evidence didn't even count anymore. We needed to find something new. But, you know, Daryl and I spent weeks knocking on doors all over Dallas. And... I got to tell you, I was amazed at what we found 30 years after the crime.

Now, you'll remember I said Ben had an alibi, a friend he was with, but no one believed her. Well, Daryl and I ended up tracking down her younger brother, who said he was with both of them at the time of the assault, but he had never been questioned. So that's new evidence. Mm-hmm. We eventually found one of the original three eyewitnesses. Another wouldn't talk to us, and the third was dead.

Now, you'll remember I said Ben had an alibi, a friend he was with, but no one believed her. Well, Daryl and I ended up tracking down her younger brother, who said he was with both of them at the time of the assault, but he had never been questioned. So that's new evidence. Mm-hmm. We eventually found one of the original three eyewitnesses. Another wouldn't talk to us, and the third was dead.