WEBVTT - Trailer: The Backfire Effect

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<v Speaker 1>In November of 1986, a student was killed in a

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<v Speaker 1>college parking lot in the town of Port Huron, Michigan.

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<v Speaker 2>I heard the gunshot, and it was so close. And

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<v Speaker 2>then I heard the death-curdling scream of that young man.

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<v Speaker 1>Eight days later, a man was arrested. Prosecutors said he

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<v Speaker 1>was an evil mastermind.

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<v Speaker 2>Fred Freeman, in my opinion, is probably the most dangerous

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<v Speaker 2>person I've ever come across. He's the Charles Manson type.

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<v Speaker 2>He's very good at manipulation. I believe he's manipulating you.

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<v Speaker 1>There was only one problem. The man said he was

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<v Speaker 1>nowhere near the scene of the crime, and he could

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<v Speaker 1>prove it. He had at least 10 eyewitnesses who placed

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<v Speaker 1>him across the state. My name is Josie Duffy Rice.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm a journalist who covers the criminal legal system. And

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<v Speaker 1>over my career, I've heard account after account of police misconduct,

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<v Speaker 1>prosecutor wrongdoing, story after story of injustice. But I've never

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<v Speaker 1>heard a story quite like this.

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<v Speaker 3>The more I kept reading this stuff, I thought, man,

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<v Speaker 3>there's more red flags that just kept coming up over

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<v Speaker 3>and over. and will hypnotize him to strengthen that memory.

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<v Speaker 3>He would have had that Coke issue, and I don't

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<v Speaker 3>mean Coca-Cola.

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<v Speaker 1>This is a story about the law and lawlessness, about

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<v Speaker 1>a police officer whose decision to do the right thing

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<v Speaker 1>put him at odds with his department, about small-town politics

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<v Speaker 1>with national implications, and a man who is still suffering

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<v Speaker 1>the consequences. almost 40 years later.

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<v Speaker 2>I really didn't believe any of it was real. And

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<v Speaker 2>I was like, well, they're going to figure out this

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<v Speaker 2>is not me.

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<v Speaker 3>They're going to do their police job.

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<v Speaker 1>In Port Huron, there are people who want to forget

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<v Speaker 1>what happened and others who won't let it go.

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<v Speaker 3>So that's really why I became involved in this, is

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<v Speaker 3>for just to do the right thing. And I knew

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<v Speaker 3>it would come at a cost.

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<v Speaker 1>The story I'm going to tell you is about the

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<v Speaker 1>limits of innocence. About a complicated man, an innocent man,

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<v Speaker 1>and the people fighting to keep him inside. Listen to

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<v Speaker 1>The Backfire Effect wherever you get your podcasts. Coming September

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<v Speaker 1>14th from Pushkin Industries. Subscribe to Pushkin Plus to hear

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<v Speaker 1>the entire season of The Backfire Effect ad-free. Subscribers also

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<v Speaker 1>get bonus episodes, full audiobooks, and early ad-free listening from

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<v Speaker 1>your favorite Pushkin hosts and authors. Find Pushkin Plus on

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<v Speaker 1>the Examine Show page on Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm

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<v Speaker 1>slash plus.