Soledad O'Brien

She wanted to right the wrongs in the world, to be kind when life wasn't kind to her, and to defend the defenseless like Ray Crump.

She wanted to right the wrongs in the world, to be kind when life wasn't kind to her, and to defend the defenseless like Ray Crump.

After Mary's murder, local residents, well, white Georgetown residents, were scared. One D.C.

After Mary's murder, local residents, well, white Georgetown residents, were scared. One D.C.

This was their thinking. If a murder in broad daylight could happen to someone as prominent as Mary, what hope did the rest of them have? The police also had incentive to wrap up this case and put all of this unease to rest. The U.S. attorney exponentially sped up the typical procedures for a criminal case in D.C.

This was their thinking. If a murder in broad daylight could happen to someone as prominent as Mary, what hope did the rest of them have? The police also had incentive to wrap up this case and put all of this unease to rest. The U.S. attorney exponentially sped up the typical procedures for a criminal case in D.C.

The grand jury judge indicted Ray solely on the basis of Henry Wiggins' eyewitness testimony. Wiggins said he was about 120 feet away when he saw Ray. Now, typically, a preliminary hearing happens before a grand jury hearing. Alexis Coe says that's not what happened here. It's clear they wanted to ram through this process fast.

The grand jury judge indicted Ray solely on the basis of Henry Wiggins' eyewitness testimony. Wiggins said he was about 120 feet away when he saw Ray. Now, typically, a preliminary hearing happens before a grand jury hearing. Alexis Coe says that's not what happened here. It's clear they wanted to ram through this process fast.

This enraged Dovey. It wasn't fair. In the meantime, Ray's mental state was deteriorating by the day. He was in solitary confinement in the D.C. jails. Dovey petitioned the court that Ray wasn't mentally fit to defend himself at trial. But the psychiatrist's report said otherwise. He was mentally competent. It was decided. Their case was going to trial.

This enraged Dovey. It wasn't fair. In the meantime, Ray's mental state was deteriorating by the day. He was in solitary confinement in the D.C. jails. Dovey petitioned the court that Ray wasn't mentally fit to defend himself at trial. But the psychiatrist's report said otherwise. He was mentally competent. It was decided. Their case was going to trial.

There was nothing else to do but to prepare herself the best she could. How was she going to prove Ray's innocence? The answer, she thought, lay in the towpath. Dovey and her law partners, George Knox and Jerry Hunter, went to the scene of the crime. Throughout those cold days in November and December of 1964, the three of them retraced Mary's steps on the towpath. I've been there in the winter.

There was nothing else to do but to prepare herself the best she could. How was she going to prove Ray's innocence? The answer, she thought, lay in the towpath. Dovey and her law partners, George Knox and Jerry Hunter, went to the scene of the crime. Throughout those cold days in November and December of 1964, the three of them retraced Mary's steps on the towpath. I've been there in the winter.

I'm Soledad O'Brien, and on my podcast, Murder on the Towpath, I'm taking you back to the 1960s. Mary Pinchot Meyer was a painter who lived in Georgetown in Washington, D.C. Every day, she took a daily walk along the towpath near the E&O Canal.

I'm Soledad O'Brien, and on my podcast, Murder on the Towpath, I'm taking you back to the 1960s. Mary Pinchot Meyer was a painter who lived in Georgetown in Washington, D.C. Every day, she took a daily walk along the towpath near the E&O Canal.

You can walk the towpath and count exactly how many steps it takes to get from the bridge to Mary's studio. That's exactly what Dovey and her law partners did that day. They walked back and forth from Foundry Underpass to Fletcher's Boathouse. They role-played. One would play Mary, the other her killer.

You can walk the towpath and count exactly how many steps it takes to get from the bridge to Mary's studio. That's exactly what Dovey and her law partners did that day. They walked back and forth from Foundry Underpass to Fletcher's Boathouse. They role-played. One would play Mary, the other her killer.

The police arrived in a heartbeat. Within 40 minutes, a man named Raymond Crump Jr. was arrested. He was found nearby, soaking wet, and he was black. Only one woman dared defend him, civil rights lawyer W. Roundtree. Join me as we unravel this story with a crazy twist. Because what most people didn't know is that Mary was connected to a very powerful man.

The police arrived in a heartbeat. Within 40 minutes, a man named Raymond Crump Jr. was arrested. He was found nearby, soaking wet, and he was black. Only one woman dared defend him, civil rights lawyer W. Roundtree. Join me as we unravel this story with a crazy twist. Because what most people didn't know is that Mary was connected to a very powerful man.

And sometimes one of them would play the role of a jogger who had passed Mary right before her murder. He'll become important later in our story. Dovey and her law partners even reenacted the gunshots. Instead of using guns, they smashed paper bags to see if Henry Wiggins would have been able to hear the pops from three-quarters of a mile away on Canal Road. We actually tried this ourselves.

And sometimes one of them would play the role of a jogger who had passed Mary right before her murder. He'll become important later in our story. Dovey and her law partners even reenacted the gunshots. Instead of using guns, they smashed paper bags to see if Henry Wiggins would have been able to hear the pops from three-quarters of a mile away on Canal Road. We actually tried this ourselves.