Wrongfully Yours

Dr. Jan Canty’s life changed forever when her husband was murdered more than four decades ago. As a "homicide survivor," she later began a podcast to support others navigating similar grief. It wasn’t until exoneree Jeffrey Deskovic approached her that she realized a painful truth: those wrongfully convicted of homicide are also victims. They are casualties of the same violence. Full epi...

In this compelling follow-up episode of Wrongfully Yours, Kelly continues her conversation with filmmaker and advocate Jia Rizvi. Jia opens up about her commitment to telling exoneree stories with honesty and integrity including her decision to self-produce 16 Years, a documentary about Jeffrey Deskovic. She shares the emotional experience of attending the Innocence Conference, the deep community...

At the last innocence network conference, filmmaker Jia Rizvi was struck by the number announced: 5,505 years. That’s the total number of years the exonerees in that room had collectively spent wrongfully incarcerated. 5,505 years of missed birthdays, family milestones, and stolen freedom. In this moving episode, Jia reflects on the beauty and heartbreak of seeing those who made it out and the qui...

Filmmaker Jia Rizvi joins us to talk about how film can quietly but powerfully move people toward justice. From screenings to inbox messages, Jia shares how storytelling ignites something personal in viewers, leading them to care, to act, and to show up for the wrongfully convicted in ways they never expected. This episode is about awareness, passion, and the ripple effects of bearing witness. Ful...

Filmmaker Jia Rizvi didn’t want to hand over someone else’s truth to a network or studio. Too many wrongful conviction stories get sensationalized or twisted into entertainment instead of treated with the care they deserve. So, she made the documentary herself. In this episode, Jia explains why sticking to the facts wasn’t just a creative choice, it was an ethical one. Every word, every moment, dr...

In this inspiring episode, Kelly speaks with Jia Rizvi, an advocate and filmmaker whose journey into wrongful conviction work began with the case of Adnan Syed and deepened through her connection with exoneree Jeffrey Deskovic. Jia shares how she left a career in marketing to pursue filmmaking as a tool for justice, and how storytelling has become her way of amplifying voices too often silenced. S...

When filmmaker Jia Rizvi met exoneree Jeffrey Deskovic, she didn’t just find a story, she found a calling. Jia shares why she chose to document Jeff’s case and why wrongful convictions are an issue the public too often overlooks. “Most people don’t think wrongful conviction is a major issue because you can’t always see it,” she says. Full episode drops February 3. Be sure to follow us and to subsc...

“A wrongful conviction creates an additional victim that was never part of the original crime.” — Jia Rizvi In this poignant conversation, filmmaker Jia Rizvi explores the often overlooked emotional toll wrongful convictions take, not just on the innocent person imprisoned, but also on the victim’s family who are retraumatized when the truth finally comes out. Full episode drops February 3. Be sur...

Award winning filmmaker Jia Rizvi shares the moment she knew she was doing exactly what she was meant to do - documenting the stories of the wrongfully convicted. In this powerful episode, Jia reflects on her first interview with Jeffrey Deskovic and how his openness, honesty, and courage shaped her path as a storyteller and as an advocate. Full episode drops February 3. Be sure to follow us and t...

In this powerful and deeply unsettling episode of Wrongfully Yours , Kelly continues her conversations with John Edwards, a man who has spent more than 32 years incarcerated for a double homicide he maintains he did not commit despite no physical evidence linking him to the murders.  Throughout the conversation, he reflects on survival, faith, resilience, and accountability, and he acknowledges hi...

In this conversation, Kelly and Dr. Akua Jackson discuss the complexities of wrongful convictions, particularly focusing on the Ohio Four case. Dr. Jackson shares her personal journey into the world of wrongful convictions, influenced by her brother's own wrongful conviction. They explore the emotional and societal impacts of wrongful convictions, the challenges faced in proving innocence, an...

In this episode, Dr. Akua Jackson shares what led her into the world of wrongful convictions. It wasn’t through an organization, but through lived experience. With a wrongly convicted brother and a family rooted in community service, her advocacy comes from personal loss, responsibility, and a deep commitment to helping others. She also shares her connection to the Ohio 4 case. This is a conversat...

Our next episode confronts a critical but often misunderstood truth in wrongful conviction cases: the difference between being released from prison and being truly free. John Edwards explains how stigma, labels, and an unvacated conviction continue to shape life long after incarceration ends. Freedom isn’t just about leaving prison. It’s about clearing your name. Be sure to listen to this conversa...

In this episode, John Edwards continues his conversation, and he refuses to let prison define the beginning or the end of his story. He speaks about relevance, community, creativity, and the determination to return home, not as someone broken by incarceration, but as someone who never stopped showing up for others. This conversation challenges what we think we know about incarceration, identity, a...

This episode is unlike any other. Recorded through phone calls from prison with John Edwards, one of the Ohio 4, this conversation is raw, unfiltered, and essential. John has been incarcerated in Ohio for over 30 years for a double homicide he did not commit. Together, the Ohio 4 have served more than 100 years of wrongful imprisonment. There is no physical evidence tying John or his co-defendants...

Coming January 6 on Wrongfully Yours: Lies. Recantations. Innocent lives on the line. William Avery’s story kept changing, but it served to place four innocent people at a murder scene with no weapon, no evidence, no proof. First it was for the reward money, then he claimed he actually witnessed the crime. How far can one man’s lies go before justice collapses? Be sure to listen to this conversati...

A shocking double murder. No leads. And an informant whose story came from his own son. Wrongfully Yours dives into the case of the Ohio 4 and the murders of Marsha Blakely & Floyd Epps. This is a tangled investigation full of twists, questions, and shocking revelations. Can justice be uncovered when the truth is buried beneath layers of hearsay and uncertainty? Be sure to listen to this conve...

In this special episode of Wrongfully Yours, host Kelly Lauzon reflects on the journey so far: the powerful stories of wrongful convictions, lived experiences, and the voices that have shaped this series. From exonerees to law enforcement professionals, youth activists to legal advocates, Kelly revisits the key takeaways from these conversations and reminds us why this work matters. This episode i...

In our final episode of the year, host Kelly Lauzon reflects on the incredible journey through stories of wrongful convictions, from the voices of exonerees to law enforcement professionals who now champion reform to students and family members. Tune in as we look back, look forward, and hold space for hope. Full episode drops December 23. You won’t want to miss this closing chapter.  Be sure to f...

In a powerful two-part release, Wrongfully Yours continues the story of Jeffrey Deskovic, who was wrongfully convicted at just 17 and spent 16 years behind bars. In Part 1, Jeff shares the pivotal moments that led to his exoneration: a critical DNA match, the real perpetrator’s confession, and the emotional aftermath of re-entering a world that had moved on without him. Now an attorney and fierce...

In a powerful two-part release, Wrongfully Yours continues the story of Jeffrey Deskovic, who was wrongfully convicted at just 17 and spent 16 years behind bars. In Part 1, Jeff shares the pivotal moments that led to his exoneration: a critical DNA match, the real perpetrator’s confession, and the emotional aftermath of re-entering a world that had moved on without him. Now an attorney and fierce...

In the second part of the conclusion to exoneree Jeffrey Deskovic story, we talk with his fiancé, Samantha.  When Samantha met exoneree Jeff, she had no idea her life was about to change. Now, she’s back in school studying criminal justice, planning to become a lawyer to join Jeff in fighting wrongful convictions.  Together with her two sons, one of whom is also inspired to pursue law, they’re bui...

Coming December 9: two unforgettable episodes featuring exoneree, attorney, and advocate, Jeffrey Deskovic. At just 16 years old, Jeffrey Deskovic was wrongfully convicted in part because a jury didn’t want to be sequestered over Christmas. In this emotional episode, Jeff recounts how a single holdout juror, who believed in his innocence, ultimately gave in to group pressure. The result? A 15-to-l...

Two unforgettable episodes featuring exoneree, attorney, and advocate, Jeffrey Deskovic. At 16, Jeff Deskovic was wrongfully convicted and spent 16 years in prison (catch up by checking out the last episode if you missed it). Now we get to talk hear more of his story through two unforgettable episodes. Coming up, in part 1: Jeff opens up about the brutal reality of his wrongful conviction, the fig...

At just 17 years old, Jeffrey Deskovic was wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a classmate even though DNA evidence had already shown he didn’t commit the crime. In this gripping episode of Wrongfully Yours , Jeff shares how manipulative police tactics led to a false confession, how the justice system failed him at every turn, and how he spent 16 years in prison before finally being exo...