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The Case of Dennis and Lee Horton
📻 Episode #232
🎙️ Hosted by Jason Flom
📅 Nov 17, 2021
About This Episode
Brothers, Dennis and Lee Horton, were having a pleasant Memorial Day in 1993 until they decided to visit their father in North Philadelphia and ran into a childhood friend, Robert Leaf. Unbeknownst to the Hortons, Robert Leaf had committed an armed robbery turned homicide earlier that day. Shortly after Robert joined the brothers in their…
The Case
Brothers, Dennis and Lee Horton, were having a pleasant Memorial Day in 1993 until they decided to visit their father in North Philadelphia and ran into a childhood friend, Robert Leaf. Unbeknownst to the Hortons, Robert Leaf had committed an armed robbery turned homicide earlier that day. Shortly after Robert joined the brothers in their car, police pulled them over. All three were arrested and tried for second degree murder. Robert Leaf's attorney used confusion among the witnesses about the identity of the shooter to win Leaf a lesser sentence, while the Hortons received life without the possibility of parole. After all appeals were denied on procedural grounds, they applied for commutation with the support of an up and coming politician named John Fetterman who was recently elected to the United States Senate for the state of Pennsylvania.
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In Their Own Words — transcript excerpts
Short excerpts from the episode's official published transcript, with timestamps — listen from these moments, or read the full transcript via the podcast's own platforms.
00:04:23“Speaker 2: on the wrong side of the projects when we was Speaker 2: approached by a group of individuals and it was maybe Speaker 2: about twenty something thirty guys, and they approached us and Speaker 2: they wanted me to fight a guy. And you know, Speaker 2: there was a bunch of guys that was about to”
00:17:11“Speaker 1: Okay, So they knew you weren't involved from the jump, Speaker 1: But since you wouldn't plead to lesser charges that you Speaker 1: knew and I think they knew were false, they threw Speaker 1: you into this kangaroo court situation tied to Robert Leaf, Speaker 1: who was the actual culprit here, and to let the”
00:29:49“Speaker 5: I am a Lieutenant Governor, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Speaker 5: I also chair of the Board of Partons and Commutations Speaker 5: here and I became acquainted with Dennis and Lee's case Speaker 5: during one of their reapplicat for commutation, and when I Speaker 5: read through it, I was blown away that these men”
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← #231 Vincent Simmons #233 Mark Denny →
Also on the podcast: #15 Dennis Maher · #97 Jimmy Dennis · #311 Dennis and Lee Horton