#593 Jason Flom with Jeffrey Deskovic

Jason Flom (0:00)

I first covered Jeffrey Deskovic's story back in 2017, which was the first year of this podcast. Jeff's story is one that I've come back to over and over again over the years, not only because of the 16 years he spent in prison for a murder he had nothing to do with. I mean, nothing at all, but also because of what he's chosen to do with his life after his exoneration. It's a hero's journey. And Jeff's story has a powerful connection to the two cases that we recently revisited on this show. I'm talking about Andrew Krivak and Anthony DiPippo. Because the same freaking polygraph operator who helped extract the confession from Jeff when he was just 16 years old, was later involved in the interrogation that produced Andy Krivak's confession. Yep, these things, they happen again and again. The same people are usually behind him. Anyway, years later, Jeff and the Deskovic Foundation not only helped to free Andy, but Jeff even put up his own house as collateral for Andy's bail. Yeah, you heard that correctly. That's the type of guy he is. So recently, I joined Jeffrey and filmmaker Jia Rizvi at the Sag Harbor Cinema for a special presentation followed by a talkback that we did together of 16 years. The 16 years is Jia's amazing documentary about Jeff's wrongful conviction, his exoneration and all the work he's done since.

I spoke there about Jeff's incredible journey from being a young teenage kid railroaded by the system to an attorney and advocate who fights for others day in and day out to make sure it doesn't happen to them. If you've been listening to Bone Valley, The Devil's Quarry, which I hope you have, and if you haven't, today's a good day to start. Jeff's story provides important context for the cases of Anthony DiPippo and Andy Krivak. And moreover, for how these wrongful convictions happen in the first place. So now, check it out. Here's Jeffrey's story.

Welcome back to Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom. Today's guest is someone fans of the show will recognize, Jeff Deskovic.

SPEAKER_2 (2:11)

Jeffrey Deskovic spent more than a decade in prison for the rape and murder of a classmate. It was a crime he did not commit. A 16-year-old is arrested for rape and murder.

Jason Flom (2:21)

He is grilled by police and given a lie detector test, and eventually the police talk him into a confession, even though DNA did not link him to the crime.

SPEAKER_2 (2:29)

He served 16 years in prison before new testing shows another man committed that crime. In January 2006, the Innocence Project convinced prosecutors to take another look at DNA evidence. New testing technology cleared Deskovic of the 1989 crime, identifying the real killer and releasing Deskovic into a world he no longer knew.

Today, Deskovic is a free man.

Jason Flom (2:54)

Jeff, welcome back to Wrongful Conviction.

Jeffrey Deskovic (2:56)

Thanks for having me, Jason. It's always a pleasure.

Jason Flom (2:58)

And Jeff was here before with Amanda Knox and Jared Adams when we did a very special Wrongful Christmas where he spoke so eloquently about what it was like being locked up in a maximum security prison on the holidays when everyone else is out celebrating and the world's going on without you. But this time, I'm really glad to have you here, Jeff, because your story is so important.

And so I want to get right back into that. You grew up in White Plains?

Jeffrey Deskovic (3:27)

No, I grew up in Peekskill in Westchester County. My case happened in White Plains. That's the county court.

Jason Flom (3:33)

People are going to scratch their heads or shake their heads when I say this, right? In your case, DNA evidence was presented at the trial that proved scientifically, with no doubt, that you could not have been the perpetrator of the beating rape and murder of the 15 year old victim Angela Correa. There is no way on God's green earth that you could have been the perpetrator, and yet you were convicted anyway. And that's what makes, it's just, I'm going to shake up the whole justice system and go, wait, that's not possible. It can't happen. And you were basically a child when this happened.

Jeffrey Deskovic (4:10)

I was. I was 16 years old when I was arrested, and by the time the trial happened and I was wrongfully convicted, I was 17 So yes, I was a child, and I had very small awareness of what was going on, totally dependent on the lawyer who was inept in a lot of ways. It's fair to say that I was particularly vulnerable.

Jason Flom (4:30)