In animated conversation with New York State exonerees, Jeffrey Deskovic and David McCallum, who were both charged with murder at age 16, and spent 16 and 29 years in prison, respectively: They talk in depth about the nature of teenage false confession, describing their own experiences, expounding on the red flags that indicate a confession may not be genuine, and outlining laws and procedures that would make false confession by juveniles less likely. Zoe reflects on developmental context.
If you ever thought that no-one would confess to a murder they didn’t commit, this episode will provide you with detailed insight into why they do, and often, and why teenagers are particularly vulnerable to making false confessions.
See Episode 21 under the PHOTOS tab for pictures of Jeffrey and David as teenagers.
Intro / Outro: Jeffrey Deskovic
Music: Chameleon Catholics – Where’s Cush?; It’s Like Trying to Speak Swahili with Gandhi