In this fourth episode of "Wrongful Convictions & Cold Cases," Andy interviews Dr. Nicky Ali Jackson, a Professor of Criminal Justice at Purdue University NW regarding the case of Chris Bynum who was convicted in 2001 of murdering five people in Gary, Indiana. Mr. Bynum has been incarcerated for over two decades and Dr. Jackson has been advocating for Mr. Bynum's exoneration. It's a complex case with some shocking revelations, twists and turns.
Dr. Nicky Ali Jackson
Dr. Jackson is a Professor of Criminal Justice at Purdue University Northwest (PNW). She is also the Executive Director at the Center for Justice and Post-Exoneration Assistance at PNW. Since its 2020 inception, Dr. Jackson has served as President of the Willie T. Donald Exoneration Advisory Coalition.
Dr. Jackson has appeared in a variety of tv, radio, and print media outlets including People magazine, True Crime Daily, People Magazine Investigates, Freedom Files, Oxygen, Righteous Conviction podcast, Wrongful Conviction podcast, CrimeHQ and more. She has served as a Board of Director for two domestic violence shelters and currently serves on two prison boards.
In 2022, The Victimology of a Wrongful Conviction: Innocent Inmates and Indirect Victims, for which she was lead author, was published by Routledge. She also was Editor for the Encyclopedia of Domestic Violence in 2007.
Her passion for truth, social justice, equality, and philanthropy has resulted in numerous awards by a variety of organizations including United Way of Porter County; Housing Opportunities, an agency serving homelessness; and NBC News Chicago recognized her as a “Person Making a Difference.” Her most notable recognition is being a recipient of the prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash Award, the highest civilian honor granted to an Indiana resident, for her humanitarian efforts by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb in 2021.
Areas of Specialization:
Criminal Justice, Victimology, Wrongful Conviction, Domestic Violence, Social Justice, Women and Law