Maurice Shema

We felt we had to use Plyler's name, given how much it showed up in the lawyer's legal filing.

But we also felt like, this man deserves every possible opportunity to respond.

So, after I sent a ton of follow-ups that went unanswered, Alvin and I decided we just had to try in person.

Plyler lives in a mid-sized city in the South.

When we got to his house, there were a couple of warning signs about a pit bull, and then we heard barking.

I did see a dog through the window.

Pretty cute, actually.

Plyler opened up just to tell us, quote, I'm not interested.

I asked if I could give him a folder with Ramona's claims.

He suggested I throw it in the garbage.

I leaned over to put it on the doormat, and by the time I stood back up, the door was closed.

The whole thing lasted maybe 10 seconds.

I haven't been able to reach him since.

This is Maurice Shema, the host of a new podcast from Serial Productions, The Marshall Project, and The New York Times.

Last year, I spent three months embedded with a Capitol defense team.

Their client had been on death row for more than 30 years, and now his execution date had been set.

I followed along as the lawyers tried to prove something nobody had successfully done in three decades, that one of Texas' most notorious serial killers was actually innocent.

The last 12 weeks.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

This is Maurice Shema, the host of a new podcast from Serial Productions, The Marshall Project, and The New York Times.