It all started on August 23rd 1980, in the small town of Bellville, Texas. Sixteen year old Cheryl Dee Fergeson woke up that morning and was in a rush for the first tournament of the season. The volleyball team in which she was a part of had to ride the 60 mile bus ride to Conroe, Texas. The girls were excited – until Cheryl disappeared and the game was canceled. She was eventually found in the auditorium – naked and lifeless. Unfortunately, this is not the only tragedy that came from this story. The corrupt and racist investigators that investigated this crime had their eyes set on one person, and one person only: the African American high school janitor, Clarence Brandley. This story is not just about the murder of an innocent teenager, but also about an innocent man who sat on death row for 10 years for a crime he did not commit. This is the story of Cheryl Fergeson and the wrongful conviction of Clarence Brandley, and you are listening to Murder in America. - Find your inner detective and download June’s Journey, available on Android and iOS mobile devices, as well as on PC through Facebook Games! - Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at https://www.stamps.com/mia. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! - Take the guesswork out of finding high-quality meat and seafood! Sign up today at butcherbox.com/MIA and use code MIA to get a 100% grass-fed chuck roast and a whole chicken FREE in your first box plus $20 off. - This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/MIA and use our custom code MIA for 10% off your first month of easy online therapy Stay Connected: Join the Murder in America fam in our free Facebook Community for a behind-the-scenes look, more insights and current events in the true crime world: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4365229996855701 If you want even more Murder in America bonus content, including ad-free episodes, come join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/murderinamerica Instagram: http://instagram.com/murderinamerica/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/people/Murder-in-America-Podcast/100086268848682/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MurderInAmerica TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theparanormalfiles and https://www.tiktok.com/@courtneybrowen Feeling spooky? Follow Colin as he travels state to state (and even country to country!) investigating claims of extreme paranormal activity and visiting famous haunted locations on The Paranormal Files Official Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheParanormalFilesOfficialChannel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.