In this episode of "Wrongful Convictions & Cold Cases," Andy interviews Jeffrey Deskovic, who at age 16 was arrested for the rape and murder of 15-year-old Angela Correa. Jeff falsely confessed to the crime and was convicted, despite recanting his confession before his criminal trial. He spent over 16 years in prison before being exonerated by DNA evidence that linked to the real killer, who subsequently confessed to the crime. Post-exoneration, Jeff obtained his law degree and now runs the Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice that seeks to help wrongfully convicted inmates prove their innocence. It's truly a remarkable story.
Jeffrey Deskovic
Jeffery was wrongfully convicted of the murder and rape of a classmate at the age of 17 and spent half his life in prison for a crime he did not commit. He was finally exonerated 16 years later based on DNA evidence. After experiencing firsthand how broken our criminal justice system is, Jeffery emerged determined to prevent what happened to him from happening to others and help those who have already been wrongfully convicted.
Jeffery is committed to raising awareness of the injustices that exist in our criminal justice system and of the kinds of reform that can be implemented to improve it. To support this effort he founded The Deskovic Foundation to exonerate the wrongfully convicted, participate in speaking engagements and media interviews, meet with elected officials, and share knowledge with law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys. Jeffery is an advocate for justice, compassion, and the power of personal perseverance.