The Innocence Files Season 1 Episode 2

Ep 2. The Evidence: The Truth Will Defend Me

  • April 15, 2020
  • 7.8  (145)

In episode 2 of The Innocence Files season 1, titled "The Evidence: The Truth Will Defend Me," viewers are taken on a journey to explore how critical evidence can be erroneously interpreted by investigators and how innocent individuals can fall victim to flawed scientific techniques.

The episode starts with a case from Mississippi, where a man named Kennedy Brewer is sentenced to death in 1995, after a three-year-old girl is found murdered and sexually assaulted. Despite there being no physical evidence linking Kennedy to the crime, he is convicted based on the testimony of two so-called experts who claimed to have found bite marks on the victim's body that matched Kennedy's teeth.

However, as the Innocence Project takes up Kennedy's case years later, they demonstrate that the scientific method used to determine the bite marks was invalid. They also bring to light the lack of any substantial evidence implicating Kennedy in the crime, and the case is eventually dismissed. Kennedy is finally exonerated, but his freedom comes after more than a decade of wrongful imprisonment.

The episode then explores the reliability of hair analysis, a forensic technique often used by investigators, but is now under scrutiny. The case related to the abduction and murder of nine-year-old Dawn Hamilton becomes the focus of attention. Despite no physical evidence linking him to the crime, a man named Willie Jackson is convicted based on hair analysis testimony given by FBI examiner Michael Malone. The Innocence Project takes up the case and analyzes hair samples which Malone had linked to Jackson. They discover inconsistencies, and the hair samples cannot reliably be linked to Jackson. Additionally, they find that in a case of rape, DNA evidenced that Malone had wrongly identified Jackson's hair analysis with that of the perpetrator, and Jackson is cleared of all charges after serving decades in prison.

The episode's final case concerns a man named Glen Edward Chapman. In 1992, Chapman is convicted of the murder of a young woman, despite discrepancies in witness statements, and a few items of circumstantial evidence that point to him being the perpetrator, but no direct proof. One of these pieces of evidence is a piece of carpet that appears to have bloodstains on it and links Chapman to the crime. However, during the investigation, the authorities used a forensic technique that fools people into thinking false and useless claims.

The episode reveals the flaws in the chain of custody of the evidence and how law enforcement's biases enabled them to view misleading evidence as meaningful. It is determined that only when the Innocence Project uncovered the chain of custody flaws, did the DNA evidence from the carpet point towards the victim's boyfriend instead of Chapman, leading to his release, after more than 14 years in prison.

Overall, The Innocence Files season 1 episode 2 explores how evidence is and should be scrutinized and how investigations can go array. It also shows how wrongful convictions can affect the lives of individuals for years and how insufficient evidence can lead to the conviction of a person that is not guilty. Through the cases, viewers can see how it is essential to do things the correct way to find the truth and serve the cause of justice.

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The Innocence Files, Season 1 Episode 2, is available to watch and stream on Netflix. You can also buy, rent The Innocence Files on demand at Netflix online.
  • First Aired
    April 15, 2020
  • Language
    English
  • IMDB Rating
    7.8  (145)
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