Phoebe Judge

His name was Chol Soo Lee.

According to the police, Chol Soo Lee had accidentally fired a gun in his apartment, and they questioned him about it.

When police looked at the type of gun, it was a .38 caliber revolver.

They did a ballistics test on the bullet from his apartment.

Chol Soo Lee was charged with first-degree murder.

An all-white jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison.

When the verdict was read, a reporter from the Sacramento Union wrote that Chol Soo Lee, quote, spat at the prosecutor and lunged toward him as jurors were filing out of the courtroom.

Chol Soo Lee insisted he was innocent, but no one believed him for years.

until a journalist heard about his story and wrote an article that would change both of their lives.

This story comes from our friends at Side Door, a history podcast from the Smithsonian.

I'm Phoebe Judge.

This is Criminal.

Here's Side Door's host, Lizzie Peabody.

We'll be right back.

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