1 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: Back in the nineties, the crime and murder rate in 2 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Philadelphia was at its peak. 3 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,040 Speaker 2: There were more than five hundred. 4 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: Murders in nineteen ninety and the rate remained above four 5 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: hundred through nineteen ninety seven. A lot of this crime 6 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:23,440 Speaker 1: happened in North Philadelphia, in areas notorious for sex work 7 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:28,479 Speaker 1: and were open air drug markets thrived. I've reported on 8 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: and spoken to people who lived and grew up in 9 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: the area for years, people who've been punished by a 10 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: system hell bent on jailing its way out of social 11 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: problems like poverty, addiction, and mental health. Most of these 12 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 1: people were young men and boys of color, considered quote 13 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: super predators by politicians of the time like Hillary Clinton 14 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: and Joe Biden. 15 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 2: They are not just gangs of kids anymore. 16 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 3: They are often the kinds of kids that are called 17 00:00:57,480 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 3: super predators. 18 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 2: No conscience, no empathy. 19 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 3: Without parents, without supervision, without any structure, without any conscience developing. 20 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: One of those boys was David Luis Suave Gonzalez. Suave 21 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: grew up in prison, but he was given a chance 22 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: to prove he was more than the mistake that landed 23 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: him behind bars. While doing time, Suave earned degrees and 24 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: created enrichment programs aimed at things like helping men behind 25 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: bars with kids become better fathers. Throughout his years of mentorship, 26 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: Save met a young man named Eddie Ramirez, also from 27 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: North Philadelphia. 28 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 4: I remember when he came to the prison. He came 29 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 4: looking for me because he had heard of me in 30 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 4: another prison. I took him under the way, and you know, 31 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 4: I became his mentor and he became out of the. 32 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: Brother Swave told me that during the decades he'd spent 33 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: in prison meeting people from all walks of life, Eddie 34 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: Ramirez stuck out. 35 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 5: He started talking to me about all I'm innocent, and 36 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 5: I was like, okay, everybody in prison is innocent, you know, 37 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 5: because that's something we don't discuss in the prison system. 38 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 4: But what I noticed was that Eddie really lived like 39 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 4: an innocent person in prison, and he had to. He 40 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 4: only told me one time. He never ran around saying 41 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 4: to me, convincing me or nothing. He'd just said, I'm innocent, 42 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 4: but I gotta do what I got to do to 43 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:27,839 Speaker 4: somebody here and to get out. 44 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: Before life in prison, Eddie was a hyper little kid, 45 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: doing the things kids in cities do. 46 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 6: I just wanted to just be happy. I just want 47 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 6: to have a comfortable life, celebrating it with family and friends. 48 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 2: What would that look like at. 49 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 6: The time, It probably would have been like smoking weed, 50 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:56,959 Speaker 6: watching rap videos, skateboarding. Yeah, like that. And I'm trying 51 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 6: to think how much of that has changed last thirty years. 52 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 2: Eddie was fortunate unlike Suave. 53 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: He grew up in a stable home with both parents, siblings, 54 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: and love. In fact, Eddie's father was a police officer 55 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: with the Philadelphia Police, and Eddie grew up respecting the law. 56 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,119 Speaker 6: I just never thought of the police as being corrupt. 57 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 2: Do you think they were corrupt in your case? 58 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 6: I mean I ended up in prison for something I 59 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 6: didn't do. 60 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: From Lava for Good, this is wrongful conviction with Maggie Freeling. 61 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 6: My name is Eddie Ramirez, and I was in prison 62 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 6: for twenty seven and a half years for something I 63 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 6: didn't do. 64 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 2: Today Eddie Ramirez. 65 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: Eddie was born on November tenth, nineteen seventy six, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 66 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 2: He's one of three kids. 67 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 6: I have two older sisters who were both my protectors 68 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 6: and my bullies, and I love them. 69 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 2: What was it like being the little brother to two 70 00:03:58,080 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 2: older sisters? 71 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 6: Do you have Eddie younger siblings, you should ask them 72 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 6: see what they see about that. 73 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: So he said you guys were his protectors, but also 74 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: his bullies. 75 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 2: What does he mean by that. 76 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 7: Well, he'll have the actually clear which one was the 77 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 7: actual bully. 78 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 6: I'm not going to say anything. 79 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 8: Other than that. 80 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 2: This is Emily, Eddie's sister. 81 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 7: He's five years younger than me. So imagine I was 82 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 7: five years old when this little baby boy comes to 83 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 7: the world, and my sister's only like a year and 84 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:32,919 Speaker 7: a half older than me. 85 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 8: So he was just, you know, the little boy of 86 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:35,920 Speaker 8: the house. 87 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 6: I was the pesky little brother. But at the same 88 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 6: time they adored me. 89 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: Emily says she did and does adore Eddie and remembers 90 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: him as an active kid, always getting into everything. 91 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 3: Kid. 92 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 8: Eddie was a lot of imagination. 93 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 7: He was just always active the way he is now, 94 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 7: always active. He's trying to do something at home. We 95 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,919 Speaker 7: have this this saying only us. The Ramier says know 96 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 7: that we say to each other we fike it, because 97 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 7: he used to say every time he would go underneath 98 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 7: the table and make pretend he's fixing something, and then 99 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 7: he'll tell Mom, I fake it. I fike it, so 100 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 7: all of us now whenever we fix something, we just 101 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 7: say we fike it. 102 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 6: We did have a driveway behind my house with the 103 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 6: kids from Ninth Street and the kids from Hutchinson Street 104 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,920 Speaker 6: gathered to play sports, freeze. 105 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 7: Tag, football, baseball, king, we did everything. So the majority 106 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,039 Speaker 7: of the people were our age, my sister and I. 107 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 7: I think Eddie might have been the youngest of them all, 108 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 7: and there was a couple of older guys. So yeah, 109 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 7: Eddie was so hyper that, you know, people didn't want 110 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 7: to you know, and they didn't want him to be around, 111 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 7: so we would have to come to his defense. I 112 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 7: know one time I fought a little boy because this 113 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 7: something to Eddie and Eddie was crying and I went 114 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 7: out and I fought him. 115 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 8: I still get called the mean girl because of that. 116 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 8: I'm the mean sister because of that. 117 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 1: Although Eddie grew up with older sisters, he still found 118 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: boy time. 119 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 6: My cousins were the closest thing I had to brothers, 120 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 6: and I did everything with them. We played Street Fighter, 121 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 6: we played Nintendo. We would go to Hunting Park play 122 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 6: football or basketball. We went shopping, We chased girls, everything 123 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 6: that you can think about. I did everything with my 124 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 6: family In fact, I like to tell people I didn't 125 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 6: have friends. My friends were family members. 126 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:45,720 Speaker 2: Tell me about growing up in Philly back then, you 127 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 2: said North Philly. 128 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 6: It depends on what you define as North Philly. It 129 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,840 Speaker 6: is technically North Philly, but people from North Philly might 130 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 6: not think of my neighborhood as being North Philly. I'm 131 00:06:54,800 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 6: logan north of the Boulevard. There were trees on my block. Like, 132 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 6: maybe our experience isn't typical of the North Philly experience. 133 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 6: But all of my cousins graduated from college or went 134 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 6: to the military, have stable lives. None of them ever 135 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 6: been arrested for anything while they were drugs in my neighborhood. 136 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 6: It probably wasn't as visible as some of the other 137 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 6: neighborhoods throughout North Philly. My upbringing was pretty modest, pretty 138 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 6: working class family. I never knew poverty. I never I 139 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 6: never wanted for anything. 140 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: This sounds very different from a lot of stories I've 141 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: heard from North Philly at the time. So were you 142 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: ever involved in any kind of crime, drugs, anything like that. 143 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 6: No, I mean I was a graffiti writer as a kid, 144 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 6: so you know that. 145 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 2: No robberies, no guns. 146 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 6: No, no, No, I've in fact, being the son of 147 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 6: a police officer, I've never even seen a gun. 148 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: As I mentioned, Eddie's father was a Philadelphia police officer. 149 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 6: I sort of like idolized the police because I actually 150 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 6: saw them as heroes. Because not only was my father 151 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 6: a police officer, I have several uncles who were sheriffs 152 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 6: and prison guards. I grew up in a law enforcement family. 153 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 7: Upbringing was nothing but police officers. I mean, we used 154 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 7: to go camping, and it used to be all my 155 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 7: father's buddies. 156 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 6: Oh my god, Like we used to go camping in 157 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 6: Coatsville in the summertime every weekend. And so I grew 158 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 6: up with all those famis and they were all like 159 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:34,959 Speaker 6: cousins to me. 160 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: February nineteenth, nineteen ninety five, was like any day for 161 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:52,240 Speaker 1: eighteen year old Eddie Ramirez. 162 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 2: He was looking to have fun and hang out with friends. 163 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: Eddie's dad gave him permission to spend the night at 164 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 1: his friend Mary Emmanuel's house. His friend eighteen year olds 165 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 1: William Billy why he was there, and Pete Goesy. 166 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 6: Well Pete I didn't know that well at all. Pete 167 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 6: was Billy's friends. Billy was someone where I'd met in 168 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 6: years prior to that, not many years, I didn't where 169 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 6: I would have said I loved Billy like a brother. 170 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 6: The truth of the matter is that I didn't know 171 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 6: Billy that well. Apparently I didn't know him that well, 172 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 6: and I think that it was it was obvious to 173 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 6: everybody that him and I did not compliment each other. 174 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 2: What does that mean? 175 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 6: We were into different things, Like I'm a big dreamer. 176 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 6: I don't know what he's into. But it wasn't that 177 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 6: I like to it's, you know, now thinking about it, 178 00:09:57,080 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 6: I'm like, man, I didn't know that guy at all. 179 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:02,839 Speaker 1: But Billy wanted to playing a key role in Eddie's case, 180 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: and you'll be hearing more about him later. Back to 181 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:12,719 Speaker 1: that winter day in nineteen ninety five, So they're all 182 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: hanging out at Mary Emmanuel's house and at around eleven PM, 183 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:18,959 Speaker 1: Eddie heads out to the laundromat across the street to 184 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:22,679 Speaker 1: get a soda for Mary's dad, Jay Darnell Senior. He 185 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 1: asked for the soda earlier in the night, but the 186 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: kids forgot so Mary sent Eddie. According to Eddie and 187 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:31,959 Speaker 1: his attorneys, he was at the laundromat for fifteen to 188 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 1: thirty minutes he says he met a girl there and 189 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: started flirting. She was one of the last customers of 190 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:41,679 Speaker 1: the night. They exchanged numbers and Eddie headed back Around 191 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 1: one am, he actually called the girl and they spoke 192 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: for a few minutes, and shortly after Ja Darnell asked 193 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 1: everyone to leave. Peter Gozi gave Eddie and Billy why 194 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 1: He a ride back to Billy's house and that was 195 00:10:56,040 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 1: that the end of a mostly uneventful night. The next day, 196 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: on February twentieth, police found the body of a woman 197 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:14,959 Speaker 1: bludgeoned to death in the laundromat. Forty year old Joyce 198 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,760 Speaker 1: Dennis was an employee there. She was a mother in 199 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 1: a newlywed and it was her first shift back from 200 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: her honeymoon in Mexico. When Joyce didn't come home after 201 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 1: her shift at two am, her husband Jim went to 202 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 1: look for her. 203 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 3: She would close up the laundromat late at night, and 204 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,679 Speaker 3: she hadn't come home and hadn't called, so he went 205 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 3: to the laundromat and when he went inside, he saw 206 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 3: blood and he flagged out a cop who arrived at 207 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 3: the scene, and they investigated and discovered a victim's body 208 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 3: and she was beaten to death. 209 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 2: Basically, this is Michael Wiseman. 210 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 3: I'm a lawyer in Pennsylvania. I work in a small 211 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:56,560 Speaker 3: firm called Wiseman and Schwartz. 212 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 1: Michael says Joyce had been hit in the head at 213 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:02,720 Speaker 1: least no. Nine times with a metal bar. The police 214 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: had found at the scene when they arrived. There was 215 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: blood everywhere and the door handles inside, dead bolts all 216 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,959 Speaker 1: on the floor. They found a fleece with blood on it, 217 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:20,280 Speaker 1: and the place also appeared to have been robbed. While investigating, 218 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 1: the police talked to Jay Darnell a few days after 219 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:24,720 Speaker 1: the killing. 220 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 3: The dad of this girl who wanted the soda, reported 221 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 3: to the police that, oh, Eddie went to the launderrath 222 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,840 Speaker 3: against soda and that's it. They were off to the races. 223 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 3: Eddie's the suspect. 224 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:39,200 Speaker 2: Police start asking about Eddie. 225 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:42,760 Speaker 3: The cops got all these you know, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen 226 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 3: year olds you know in the station whereas they used 227 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:52,200 Speaker 3: to call it the round house, and basically six or 228 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,560 Speaker 3: so people who gave statements against Eddie. 229 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: What follows is a month's long investigation in which a 230 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 1: story starts to develop about Eddie and a party and 231 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: a confession a story that unfolds like a game of telephone. 232 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,199 Speaker 1: A key part of the story comes from a known 233 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: drug dealer named Corey Watkins. Police interview Watkins and he 234 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: tells them a seventeen year old kid named Joseph Mayo 235 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 1: told him that Billy Why he had killed a woman 236 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 1: at the laundromat. Remember, Billy was Eddie's friend, the one 237 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:32,079 Speaker 1: he was with that night. Watkins does not mention anything 238 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 1: about Eddie. Police also bring in Billy why He for questioning, 239 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 1: and Billy ends up telling police that Eddie killed Joyce 240 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 1: Dennis during a robbery while he stood look out, and 241 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 1: after he and Eddie went to a friend's party to 242 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 1: buy drugs. Fifteen year old Luis Rivera says he was 243 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 1: at that party and he tells police that Billy told 244 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:58,440 Speaker 1: him he and Eddie quote went to do a stick 245 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 1: up and Eddie hurt the lady and that the lady died. 246 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: Watkins's girlfriend, Melanie Foreman, also a local drug dealer, tells 247 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 1: police she saw Eddie a few days later and he 248 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: confessed to her. The police eventually reinterviewed Mayo, who remember 249 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 1: hadn't said anything about Eddie originally, but now he says, 250 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: Billy and Eddie told him they were involved in the 251 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 1: death of Joyce Dennis at the laundromat, almost a year 252 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: and a half after Joyce Dennis was found bludgeoned to death. 253 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: Billy why he was arrested the following day, on the 254 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: fourth of July, Eddie was working the overnight attendant shift 255 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 1: at a gas station when police showed up and arrested him. 256 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 6: And I thought, Okay, they clearly they made a mistake 257 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 6: and cool a headge will prevail. Let me do what 258 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 6: I care so I can get back to work. 259 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 2: But that's not what happened. 260 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 6: I's been in jail for twenty months with waiting trial. 261 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 1: Both were charged with murder, robbery, and criminal conspiracy. Billy 262 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 1: took a deal, pleading to a lesser sentence in exchange 263 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 1: for testifying as the star witness against Eddie at trial. 264 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 1: What followed for Eddie's family was mostly confusion. 265 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 7: We remember that day when we were told he was arrested. 266 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 7: I immediately went over to my sister's house and we 267 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 7: were just like in shock and what we were going 268 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:32,440 Speaker 7: to do, and we didn't even know what to do. 269 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 7: We did not know what to do. It was embarrassing. 270 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 7: In the beginning, family didn't want to talk about it. 271 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 7: And you know, everybody thinks that you go to jail, 272 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 7: you have something to do with it. Nobody was going 273 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 7: to believe or the innocent. My brother's innocent. He had 274 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 7: nothing to do with it, like nothing. 275 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 8: You know, nobody believed that. Nobody believed it. There was 276 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,480 Speaker 8: always doubt in people's minds. 277 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 2: Emily says her dad was desperate and being a former cop, 278 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 2: he started to look into the case too, to see 279 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 2: if anything implicated Eddie. 280 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 7: My dad checked the house I think a thousand times. 281 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 7: He tried to investigate the case. He tried to be 282 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 7: detective and found nothing. And it was just mind boggling. 283 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 6: What person says, Hey, let me prepare for a rainy 284 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 6: day in the case I get arrested for something I 285 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 6: didn't do. So you don't know, that's not something you 286 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 6: prepare for. It's just something you're in in the moment, 287 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,480 Speaker 6: and when the moment comes for some people, it catches 288 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 6: you off guard. 289 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: And nothing could have prepared him for what came next. 290 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: Eddie's trial began in December nineteen ninety seven. Assistant District 291 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 1: Attorney Mark Gilson called Star witness Billy Wyhee to the 292 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: stand along with Joseph Mayo Melanie Foreman, who repeated what 293 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 1: they had told police. 294 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, he made admissions to me. I saw him with 295 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 3: blood on him. I saw him with a pocket full 296 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 3: of quarters quarters. 297 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: It was all over the press when Eddie was first arrested. 298 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:18,440 Speaker 1: Police were saying the teenagers had killed Joyce Dennis over 299 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 1: a bucket of change from the machines. Then, according to 300 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 1: the prosecution, they went to a party, got high and 301 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 1: bragged about what they had done. Eddie's defense attorney was 302 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 1: a former DA named Jack McMahon. There was no evidence 303 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 1: linking Eddie to the crime for McMahon to refute with experts, 304 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 1: the case was all based on alleged witness testimony, so 305 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:48,199 Speaker 1: he had to challenge the credibility of each witness. He 306 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 1: pointed out that except for why he, none of them 307 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 1: had implicated Eddie in their original statements with police. 308 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 2: None. 309 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:02,400 Speaker 6: His strategy was to rely on his obeities to impeach 310 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:05,200 Speaker 6: the witnesses based on their own inconsistent testimony. 311 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 1: He was trying to point out that all these kids. 312 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 3: You know, were forced to implicate. 313 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:12,119 Speaker 2: Eddie, and these were all teenagers. 314 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, the teenagers without their families involved in the interrogation, 315 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 3: which is itself problematic, and you know, it's just threats 316 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:24,399 Speaker 3: and threats and threats and the you know, if you 317 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 3: don't give up Eddie, then you must have done it. 318 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 3: You know something on that you're not telling us, And 319 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:34,399 Speaker 3: it's just, you know, it takes an extraordinary person, especially 320 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 3: as a teenager, to resist that kind of pressure, or. 321 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 1: It would take someone who is not in a lot 322 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 1: of trouble. Witness Melanie Foreman, for example, was facing two 323 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 1: state drug charges and three federal drug charges at the time. 324 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 1: McMahon also called Sarah Hurd, the girl who allegedly threw 325 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:57,119 Speaker 1: the party or Eddie had confessed, and she testified the 326 00:18:57,119 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: party had been the night before the murder and she 327 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 1: never heard Eddie say anything about Joyce. 328 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 2: Dennis. 329 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 1: Eddie's dad, also testified that Eddie came home the next 330 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:11,880 Speaker 1: day wearing the same clothes he'd been in the day before. 331 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 3: The defense was trying to make a point that Eddie 332 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:15,920 Speaker 3: was not seen with blood on him. 333 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 2: Remember, the laundromat was a bloody mess. 334 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:24,479 Speaker 3: It was really inconceivable that a person who had committed 335 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 3: this crime would have gotten away from there. With literally 336 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 3: no blood, but they hid the fact that the place 337 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 3: was a wash of blood. 338 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: The prosecution was able to suppress evidence at trial, so 339 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 1: the defense could not bring up the blood. So the 340 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 1: whole case hinged on the word of these witnesses against Eddie, 341 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 1: and on January second, nineteen ninety eight, Eddie was convicted 342 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:56,199 Speaker 1: of second degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. 343 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,640 Speaker 6: When I was convicted, I thought to myself, well, I'm 344 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 6: a arrest did I'm health for trial? And I think 345 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:05,200 Speaker 6: to myself, Okay, cool. At some point, they're gonna realize 346 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,119 Speaker 6: this is a mistake, and they're gonna drop the charges 347 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:07,959 Speaker 6: and they're gonna release me. 348 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 2: Like I was in denial, what were the first years, Like. 349 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 6: I was still super young and had no real identity, 350 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:20,120 Speaker 6: but he's. 351 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:22,680 Speaker 1: Had a lot of time to think about what put 352 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: him in prison and who he could trust. 353 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 6: I stayed to myself like now, I wasn't so much 354 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 6: isolated as I wanted to learn from my mistakes. And 355 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:38,440 Speaker 6: my biggest mistake was associating with people who I had 356 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:42,399 Speaker 6: who I didn't have much in common with right and 357 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 6: to this day I don't do it. And so for 358 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 6: those first few years, like I'd played cards with you, 359 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 6: but we weren't boys. 360 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 2: Years past and the reality of prison set in. 361 00:20:56,480 --> 00:21:00,520 Speaker 6: I remember the date, November tenth, two thousand and why 362 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:02,879 Speaker 6: that date, That's my birthday. And the clock struck midnight 363 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 6: and I realized I had just turned thirty and I 364 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 6: had spent all of my twenties in prison. And I 365 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 6: was like, oh, this is real. 366 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 2: Time passed for Eddie's family as well. 367 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 8: It was just mind boggling. All the years the hope 368 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 8: was being lost. 369 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:25,480 Speaker 2: But then Eddie was transferred. 370 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 6: I ended up at Greaterford and that changed my life. 371 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 1: Greaterford was a maximum security prison in Pennsylvania's largest able 372 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 1: to house about thirty five hundred men, and Eddie says 373 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 1: it was really those men at Greiderford who changed him. 374 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:46,879 Speaker 6: Oh where my family taught me love and tolerance. My 375 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 6: brother's at Greaterford taught me how to be a man. 376 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 6: I met guys like Soabre Tyrone Works, Albert Bandy, Sam 377 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,160 Speaker 6: Magic Brown. They taught me how to be an adult. 378 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:01,399 Speaker 6: And when I say and I don't mean no, no 379 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:03,719 Speaker 6: kind of toxic masculinity. 380 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,479 Speaker 1: Eddie says, these men taught him how to have integrity, honor, 381 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:07,960 Speaker 1: and a sense of purpose. 382 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:10,200 Speaker 2: How does that happen in a prison? 383 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 1: You know, how do these guys, some of them did 384 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 1: do crimes, how do they suddenly just become these like 385 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 1: Dali Lama guru guys. 386 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 6: Because most of the crimes that were committed were committed 387 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:26,879 Speaker 6: when they were young men, and they you know, you 388 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 6: sit in you go to prison, and you start to 389 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 6: see the effect of the crimes you've committed, and then 390 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 6: they start to like, you're mature. And so for those guys, 391 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 6: I mean, it happens for everyone, but it happens differently, right, 392 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:44,200 Speaker 6: And so those guys who are fall intensive purposes never 393 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:47,679 Speaker 6: going to leave the prison. What do you have? You 394 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 6: have your legacy, you have the way that you affect 395 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:55,440 Speaker 6: other people going out into the world, and they take 396 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:57,959 Speaker 6: that piece of you with them. 397 00:22:58,440 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 2: And that's kind of what you were thinking, because you 398 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:00,960 Speaker 2: were never going to go home. 399 00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 6: Oh no, I knew I was going to go home, 400 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 6: did I mean? Listen, there were times where I questioned it, 401 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:10,360 Speaker 6: but I would like snap myself back to reality, like yo, prepare. 402 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:13,960 Speaker 6: And so from the minute like these guys, I met 403 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 6: them and they were like, are you going home? And 404 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:19,480 Speaker 6: I'd be like, yeah, I'm going home. All right, well, 405 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 6: stop preparing right now. 406 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:22,960 Speaker 2: So Eddie got to work. 407 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:26,879 Speaker 1: Not only did he complete a paralegal certificate course, but 408 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:30,400 Speaker 1: he earned a bachelor's degree. He pushed so that incarcerated 409 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 1: students became eligible for the Dean's List, and he collaborated 410 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 1: as an artist with a mural arts program in Philadelphia. 411 00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:41,800 Speaker 1: And by his side the entire time was his family. 412 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 3: I can tell you that that Eddie's family was as 413 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 3: steadfast as any I've ever seen. I mean, just the 414 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 3: tenacity and the gumption of the family was. 415 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:54,840 Speaker 2: Amazing, especially his sisters. 416 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 7: I became his voice out here to let people know, Hey, 417 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 7: this happened, This is happening. This is happening. People are innocent, 418 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 7: and so by me doing it out here, it was 419 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:12,240 Speaker 7: motivating him inside prison to do to better himself, to 420 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:15,040 Speaker 7: prepare himself to come out here. 421 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:18,919 Speaker 1: But Eddie wasn't just preparing to get out. He was 422 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: fighting to get out. In the early two thousands, Eddie 423 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 1: filed a series of appeals, one of the main ones 424 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:30,000 Speaker 1: being that the prosecution had found DNA under fingernail clippings 425 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 1: from Joyce Dennis and that was never disclosed to the defense. 426 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:37,399 Speaker 1: In two thousand and three, testing was done on the 427 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 1: samples that excluded Eddie as a contributor, but his conviction 428 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:44,720 Speaker 1: was upheld in twenty eleven. 429 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:48,960 Speaker 2: Then Michael comes in, Michael, do you think that his 430 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 2: trial was fair? 431 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 3: Well, it can't be a fair trial when evidence is suppressed. 432 00:24:54,520 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 3: That's fundamental to any system of justice. Answers and obvious 433 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:02,159 Speaker 3: and resecting. 434 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:05,720 Speaker 1: Now, in twenty fifteen, Eddie filed a petition for relief 435 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:07,400 Speaker 1: with the help of Michael Weisman. 436 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 3: So that was when I first met Eddie. And over time, 437 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:17,399 Speaker 3: you know, I've come to truly admire him as an individual, 438 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,800 Speaker 3: as man, and as a resilient human being. 439 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,159 Speaker 6: So and he's learned to sort of bear with my 440 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:27,879 Speaker 6: sort of like overbearing personality. 441 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:30,560 Speaker 1: If there's anything I've learned from you guys at Greaterford 442 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:35,600 Speaker 1: and Philadelphia, you are all big personalities. Yes, there's anything 443 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:38,119 Speaker 1: I've learned from meeting all you. Michael also had the 444 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:40,480 Speaker 1: help of the Philadelphia Innocence Project. 445 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,840 Speaker 3: When the Innocence Project got involved, the case kind of exploded, 446 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 3: and you know, went in all kinds of different directions 447 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:51,120 Speaker 3: that I don't know that any of us anticipated. 448 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:50,920 Speaker 6: At the time. 449 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:53,880 Speaker 1: Not only did they follow up on the DNA motions 450 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:57,760 Speaker 1: and suppressed blood evidence. But Eddie's claim for innocence was 451 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:03,720 Speaker 1: now bolstered by recantation from key witnesses. Drug dealer Corey 452 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 1: Watkins and his girlfriend Melanie Foreman, said they'd been pressured 453 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 1: to falsely implicate Eddie. Watkins said the police held him 454 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:14,760 Speaker 1: for hours until he signed a statement. Foreman said the 455 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:18,199 Speaker 1: police threatened to charge her as an accomplice. She was 456 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:21,639 Speaker 1: cooperating with the federal government on other cases when she 457 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 1: gave her initial statement against Eddie. Remember, she was facing 458 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:29,680 Speaker 1: two state drug charges and three federal gun and drug 459 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:33,920 Speaker 1: charges at the time. Joseph Mayo said the police had 460 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:36,879 Speaker 1: threatened to charge him with an unrelated stabbing if he 461 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:41,440 Speaker 1: didn't implicate Eddie, and Sarah Hurd would later say in 462 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 1: an Affidavid that the police screamed at her and threatened 463 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 1: to take away her baby and to charge her with 464 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:48,400 Speaker 1: hiding evidence. 465 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:53,359 Speaker 3: The harassment and the threats against these teenagers to finger 466 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 3: any is something that now has the name. It's called 467 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:02,440 Speaker 3: the homicide Hotel, So it's it's pretty much an established 468 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 3: practice back at that time that what the Philadelphia Hama 469 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 3: Side Unit would do is they would bring in witnesses 470 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 3: and they'd basically just hold them for days. So you know, 471 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:17,199 Speaker 3: that combined with the DNA combined with what we learned 472 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:21,239 Speaker 3: to be the suppressed blood evidence, was like, you know, 473 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:25,440 Speaker 3: just the trifecta of strong extalpatory evidence. 474 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 1: In twenty sixteen, additional DNA testing was done on items 475 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:34,359 Speaker 1: at the scene, including a broom and the bloody fleece 476 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:38,639 Speaker 1: I'd mentioned earlier. Testing found the same male DNA on 477 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:42,679 Speaker 1: the fleece as on the presumed murder weapon, the pipe. 478 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:47,560 Speaker 1: Eddie was again excluded as a contributor. But the wheels 479 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 1: of justice move slow, and the years go by with 480 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 1: new motions and delays and setbacks, I. 481 00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:57,399 Speaker 3: Mean every court appearance. I mean I used to like 482 00:27:57,520 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 3: dread having to go to court because it'd be like, 483 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:02,919 Speaker 3: I have nothing I can tell Eddie's mom, who just 484 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 3: sits there with tears in her eyes and you know, 485 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:07,400 Speaker 3: waiting for good news. 486 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 1: Then finally, in August of twenty twenty three, the state 487 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:16,200 Speaker 1: responded to Eddie's petition for relief, agreeing that they had 488 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 1: failed to disclose significant exculpatory evidence to Eddie's attorney that 489 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:33,159 Speaker 1: would have helped his defense at his original trial. A 490 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 1: November two, Judge Scott de Claudio vacated Eddie's conviction and 491 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:39,240 Speaker 1: ordered a new trial. 492 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 6: At that point, I was kind of like, Okay, I 493 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 6: could breathe a little easier now. Yeah, I'm not out 494 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 6: the woods yet because I'm still in prison. 495 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:48,880 Speaker 1: But the prosecution had thirty days to decide if they 496 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: wanted to retry him, and they took their time deciding. 497 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 8: I was just like, my brother is going out of 498 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 8: his mind in prison. 499 00:28:58,000 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 6: They're going to get every minute out of me that 500 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 6: they can. I was pissed. 501 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:06,600 Speaker 1: Finally, on November thirtieth, twenty days after his forty seventh birthday, 502 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 1: Eddie was on his way to court to find out 503 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 1: what the state had decided. 504 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:16,200 Speaker 7: It's very last minute, the very last minute. We were 505 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 7: just like holding our breath because we had been there, 506 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 7: done that so many times. 507 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 1: Eddie was on the prison transport van, filled with nerves 508 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: when there was an announcement. 509 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 6: One of the chefs was watching on his phone and 510 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 6: so he yells to the back of the van, Hey, Ramirez, 511 00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 6: they just announced it. Man, You're going home, right, And 512 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:37,640 Speaker 6: so people in the van are like really happy, like, 513 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:40,600 Speaker 6: oh man, congratulations, congratulations. There was this one kid. He 514 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:43,000 Speaker 6: was like, Yo, how long you been down? I said, man, 515 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,000 Speaker 6: I've probably been down your whole life. And he's twenty 516 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:47,240 Speaker 6: four years old. So he was like, I'm twenty four. 517 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 6: I'm like, yeah, man, you weren't even born when I 518 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:49,520 Speaker 6: went to prison. 519 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:52,680 Speaker 1: He tells Eddie about the street and gang violence that 520 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 1: surrounds him at home, and he says. 521 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:57,640 Speaker 6: Yeah, I just want to be somewhere where I could 522 00:29:57,680 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 6: take my son out and not be afraid it was 523 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:02,080 Speaker 6: going to hap happened. And so I said to him, 524 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:07,640 Speaker 6: how important is that? He said's everything? And so I said, well, 525 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 6: then everything you do should be about that. And then 526 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:15,720 Speaker 6: it dawned on me, Yo, God put me on this 527 00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 6: van to give that one last lesson to somebody on 528 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:22,520 Speaker 6: the inside. And so, however long the trip was, I 529 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:24,720 Speaker 6: stopped thinking about the time because I was like, man, 530 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:29,560 Speaker 6: I got an opportunity to do that in that location 531 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:31,920 Speaker 6: one last time, because I'm going to for the rest 532 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:33,680 Speaker 6: of my life. I'm going to do whatever I can 533 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 6: to be a brother to whoever needs it. 534 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 1: Eddie's entire family, including his parents, were there the day 535 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: he was released. 536 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 6: And my father, who I had not seen run in 537 00:30:53,720 --> 00:31:06,960 Speaker 6: thirty years, ran to me that was gonna be with 538 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:07,680 Speaker 6: me for a while. 539 00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 2: What's your relationship with him? 540 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:13,880 Speaker 3: Like? 541 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 6: Now, oh, man, that's my best friend. That's my best friend. 542 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:21,800 Speaker 6: And I'm just so happy. Like I wonder sometimes if 543 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 6: he thought he was going to live to see the 544 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:29,400 Speaker 6: day that I would come home. And I'm so happy 545 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:30,280 Speaker 6: that he did. 546 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 1: Eddie wasted no time picking up where he left off 547 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:36,320 Speaker 1: at nineteen years old. 548 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:42,880 Speaker 6: I still skateboard. Wow. Yeah, well, I mean not exaggerate 549 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 6: the greatness of my skateboard. 550 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:47,480 Speaker 2: I was gonna say, did you skateboard in prison? Because 551 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 2: you've only been out a few months and I. 552 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 6: Have skateboarding since I've been home. And I can tell 553 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:54,000 Speaker 6: you that as a forty eight year old, it affects 554 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 6: the joints differently. 555 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:56,480 Speaker 2: Scary. 556 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 6: I am worried about falling. I'm going to break a hip. 557 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:04,000 Speaker 1: Billy why he is the only witness against Eddie who 558 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:07,479 Speaker 1: didn't change his story, and that was Eddie's friend though 559 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:10,200 Speaker 1: when he thought he knew. He took a deal to 560 00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:13,520 Speaker 1: testify against Eddie and only served five years in prison, 561 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:18,720 Speaker 1: while Eddie could have spent his life in there. At first, 562 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: Eddie couldn't help but be resentful towards Billy. Why he 563 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 1: but today he looks at things differently. 564 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:27,840 Speaker 6: Wouldn't want his victim yea. And I you know, like 565 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 6: I hate to put it like that because it's a 566 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:32,440 Speaker 6: part of me that. 567 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:32,640 Speaker 2: That's the guy that put you in prison. 568 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:34,440 Speaker 6: Yeah, and so there's a part of me that doesn't 569 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:38,120 Speaker 6: want to defend him. But how could I not How 570 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:41,640 Speaker 6: could I talk about integrity and character and just throw 571 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 6: that guy to the wolves even though he did that 572 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:46,440 Speaker 6: to me? And so I do got to stand up 573 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:48,840 Speaker 6: for what's right and say that it took advantage of 574 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 6: a kid. 575 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 1: These days, Eddie tries to share the wisdom and perspective 576 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 1: he gained from his friends in prison with the new 577 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:58,080 Speaker 1: men in his life, his nephews. 578 00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:01,640 Speaker 7: You know, he gives them the manly talk, get up 579 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:04,960 Speaker 7: off your butt and do this, and he's always talking 580 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:06,400 Speaker 7: criminal reform. 581 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:08,640 Speaker 8: To them, which in my case, I have a son 582 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 8: who you know, has a little criminal history, so you know, 583 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:15,360 Speaker 8: he tries to teach him what he can do. 584 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 7: And all of Eddie's friends are also in that criminal 585 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:23,640 Speaker 7: reform stuff. So I feel like that's a really good 586 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 7: vole model for guys like my sons and his nephews. 587 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:29,920 Speaker 8: And his niece. 588 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,640 Speaker 2: Look at good and he just lives life. 589 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 6: Why don't you tell the world what you're about to do. 590 00:33:38,480 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 2: Goes to the driving range with his dad and sisters. 591 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:45,240 Speaker 6: Great job, you look good, Man, smile for me. 592 00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:47,720 Speaker 1: Man look at me a smile, and spends time with 593 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:49,680 Speaker 1: his family as much as he can. 594 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 7: You know, everybody's been trying to get a piece of him. 595 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:59,760 Speaker 7: He is booked solid. We have to literally plan around 596 00:33:59,760 --> 00:34:00,520 Speaker 7: his schedule. 597 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:04,160 Speaker 2: But there was one date that Eddie couldn't miss. 598 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:06,760 Speaker 7: She got arrested in the middle of the night on 599 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:11,360 Speaker 7: the fourth of July. So this fourth of July was 600 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:13,200 Speaker 7: the first time that we got to celebrate with him 601 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:15,640 Speaker 7: in twenty seven years, and it was very special for 602 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:19,360 Speaker 7: me and my sister that we did something. 603 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:22,759 Speaker 1: Emily wasn't going to let Eddie miss another Fourth of 604 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:24,320 Speaker 1: July with his family. 605 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:26,920 Speaker 7: I talk a lot about my dad, but my mom, 606 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:33,719 Speaker 7: she's super, super faithful. She's a faithful woman, and she 607 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:35,719 Speaker 7: had no doubt that he was going to come home 608 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:37,640 Speaker 7: one day. And I can tell you that she has 609 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:41,280 Speaker 7: bought him things all throughout his prison life. She had 610 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:44,040 Speaker 7: racked up items for him for when he came out, 611 00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:46,720 Speaker 7: household stuff, socks. 612 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 8: All kinds of stuff. Not when he came out. 613 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:51,760 Speaker 7: Of course, those are like old stuff. He wants new things, 614 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:54,640 Speaker 7: so you know, we have to try to do something 615 00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:58,600 Speaker 7: with those things. But she is like so happy that 616 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 7: she got her son back, and like that is the woman. 617 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:06,759 Speaker 7: That woman is so the fourth of July, she got 618 00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:09,759 Speaker 7: to see her three children swimming and playing in the 619 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:12,120 Speaker 7: pool like we were when we were kids, when we 620 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 7: used to go camping. That my dad didn't experience because 621 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:18,400 Speaker 7: he came and left, but my mom actually stood around 622 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:20,400 Speaker 7: and she saw us playing in the pool. 623 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,400 Speaker 8: I said, Mom, does this remind you of camping? And 624 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:27,000 Speaker 8: she she just said yeah. She had this big smile 625 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:27,800 Speaker 8: on the face. 626 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:30,439 Speaker 7: She was just so happy that she got to see 627 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:32,719 Speaker 7: all her kids, especially her son. 628 00:35:33,239 --> 00:35:37,759 Speaker 8: Playing in the pool like little kids, splashing each other. 629 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freeling. 630 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:56,640 Speaker 1: Please support your local innocence organizations and go to the 631 00:35:56,680 --> 00:35:59,479 Speaker 1: links in the episode description to see how you can help. 632 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:03,160 Speaker 1: This episode was written by me Maggie Freeling, with story 633 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:07,160 Speaker 1: editing and mixing by senior producer Rebecca Ibada. Our producer 634 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:11,640 Speaker 1: is Kathleen Fink. Our researcher Is Shelby Sorels, additional mixing 635 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:16,400 Speaker 1: by Josh Allen. Our executive producers are Jason Flam, Jeff Kempler, 636 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:20,040 Speaker 1: and Kevin Wordis, with additional production help by Jeff Cleiburn 637 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:23,440 Speaker 1: and Connor Hall. The music is by three time OSCAR 638 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 1: nominated composer Jay Ralph. Make sure to follow us on 639 00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:30,759 Speaker 1: all social media platforms at Lava for Good and at 640 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:34,520 Speaker 1: Wrongful Conviction. You can also follow me on all platforms 641 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:38,080 Speaker 1: at Maggie Freeling. Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freeling is a 642 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:42,000 Speaker 1: production of Lava for Good podcast in association with Signal 643 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:43,040 Speaker 1: Company Number one