Real life murder used to explore racial, education concerns in rural South
Based on the real-life murders of a young wife and her toddler in rural Texas several decades ago, John Yearwood’s new novel Jar of Pennies explores the region’s culture and racial complexities. We've got exclusive excerpts and reporter Kim Whiting talks with the author to better understand his keen racial awareness and critical thinking.
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'It's time to get comfortable with having uncomfortable conversations'
"My White privilege carved an easy-to-traverse path," writes Reporters Inc. Executive Director Mark Saxenmeyer. After being confronted for his silence on George Floyd's murder, he decided to share his experiences with race -- from the community he was raised in to the schools he attended, from the career he forged to his daily interactions.
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Unearthing the horrifying truth about Oklahoma's racist massacre of 1921
Ninety-nine years ago a mob of White people declared war on "Black Wall Street" in Tulsa, Oklahoma and left its 34 blocks in ashes. At the time, 36 deaths were reported, but historians now put that number closer to 300. Tulsa resident Kim Whiting details the horrifying history of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, and its lasting impact.
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Twenty-five years after they were convicted of murder, all but one of the 'Monfils Six' are on parole
"They're excited that he's getting out, but it's also terrifying because they haven't lived with this person for 25 years," author Joan Treppa explained to reporters outside a Wisconsin prison facility. "They're going to have to get to know each other all over again." After being denied parole 10 times, Mike Johnson, one of six men accused of murdering Tom Monfils in 1995, is finally released from prison.
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Michael Hirn takes his first steps into freedom
"We laughed and celebrated, and made toasts to commemorate this historic day. We talked about the future..." In 1995 Michael Hirn, along with five other men, was convicted of murdering his co-worker. All of them have maintained their innocence. Now, Hirn is finally on parole after 23 years behind bars.
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Midwestern mom on a mission: bringing justice to the wrongfully convicted
Joan Treppa thought her life's path had been set but that all changed in 2009 after a chance encounter with the author of a book about six imprisoned Wisconsin men. The case so enthralled Treppa that she decided she just had to get involved. She has now detailed her quest to reveal the truth about the men she believes have been wrongfully convicted in her new book: Reclaiming Lives: Pursuing Justice for Six Innocent Men. The Reporters Inc. is pleased to present an exclusive excerpt.
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Ongoing murder prosecution against Missouri man ignores facts, lacks evidence
On November 28, 2016 the retrial of a Missouri man, Michael Amick, began. The verdict? Not guilty. Reporter Devante Jax Wolfe goes in-depth on how Amick was wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife's grandmother Maxine in 2008.
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He spent 20 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit
Larry Floyd claims that as a teenager he was coerced into a murder confession by his own father. After serving 10 years in Mississippi's infamous Parchman prison, Floyd made a daring escape in 1991, leading to a classic manhunt. The beating he sustained by more than 20 officers after his capture nearly killed Larry, and prompted an FBI investigation into the brutal conditions inside the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Larry miraculously survived and lives to tell his story.
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Suburban married mom says she was wrongfully convicted of ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’
On October 16, 1995, a seven-month-old girl died while in the care of a 34-year-old Audrey Edmunds. A pathologist determined the cause of death to be "Shaken Baby Syndrome." Never wavering from her claims of innocence, Edmunds spent over a decade trying to clear her name after being convicted of first degree reckless homicide. The Reporters Inc. shares some exclusive excerpts from Edmunds' new book detailing her 11-year nightmare.
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Convictions of six Wisconsin men captured my attention, changed my life
Six years ago, Joan Treppa learned about a group of six Green Bay, Wisconsin men convicted of murdering their co-worker in 1995. Treppa shares how she became a "citizen advocate" to help fight to free these men--who she believes are innocent.
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How police corralled a 10-year-old boy into falsely confessing to murder
In 1994, The Reporters Inc.'s Mark Saxenmeyer reported the verdict: A 10-year-old Chicago boy had been convicted of killing his neighbor, an 84-year-old woman. Even though the boy had confessed to the crime, Saxenmeyer kept thinking to himself "This kid didn't do it."
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My sister was a victim of one of them
America has more mass shootings than any other democratized country not at war, Joan Peterson writes. People who have suffered from gun violence feel the pain of this fact more than anyone. Peterson's sister was shot to death 20 years ago over a contentious divorce. That's why Peterson argues for universal background checks.
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