← All Cases / Episode #41
The Case of Jeffrey Deskovic
📻 Episode #41
🎙️ Hosted by Jason Flom
📅 Nov 13, 2017
About This Episode
In 1990, Jeffrey Deskovic was wrongfully convicted of the brutal rape and murder of his 15-year-old classmate, Angela Correa. Jeff was only 16 at the time of the crime with no prior record. Police claimed that Jeff was overly upset at the victim’s funeral and were certain they had their man. They interrogated him for…
The Case
In 1990, Jeffrey Deskovic was wrongfully convicted of the brutal rape and murder of his 15-year-old classmate, Angela Correa. Jeff was only 16 at the time of the crime with no prior record. Police claimed that Jeff was overly upset at the victim’s funeral and were certain they had their man. They interrogated him for over seven and a half hours, without his mother or legal counsel present. After browbeating and intimidating him, they ultimately extracted a false confession after promising that he could go home after he confessed. He had also been told that if his DNA did not match the semen in the rape kit, he would be cleared as a suspect. In January 1991, Jeffrey Deskovic was convicted of 1st degree rape and 2nd degree murder, despite DNA results showing that he was not the source of semen in the victim’s rape kit, and he was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. In 2006, post-conviction DNA testing done by the Innocence Project both proved Jeff’s innocence and identified the real perpetrator, convicted murderer Steven Cunningham, who subsequently confessed to the crime. On November 2nd, 2006, Jeffrey Deskovic’s indictment was dismissed on grounds of actual innocence and he was released after serving 16 years in prison. Since his release, he has started The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice, which investigates wrongful conviction cases and provides support for exonerees once they are released.
https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/with-jason-flom
We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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.
00:06:41“Speaker 7: and one other boy that lived there, I mean, there Speaker 7: was a big group of kids that lived near complex Speaker 7: and in the areas around it, and pretty much whatever Speaker 7: I would suggest would mostly be what we would do. Speaker 7: I mean, we would swim, we would play basketball, ride bikes,”
00:25:52“Speaker 3: And there was no physical evidence connecting you to this crime, right, correct? Speaker 3: Is it possible for someone to beat, rape, and strangle Speaker 3: someone and not leave any physical evidence at the crime scene. Speaker 4: No, it's impossible. Speaker 7: It's very very close to impossible. And just to delve”
00:45:12“Speaker 7: putting me up in. Nobody would take me in. Thank Speaker 7: god for Mercy College, which had given me a scholarship Speaker 7: to finish the bachelor's degree because I was thirty credits Speaker 7: short of that at the time that former governor of Speaker 7: Attack he had cut the funding for that. So that”
Listen to the Episode
🎧 Listen on Omny / the podcast's platforms
Resources & links from the episode:
Share this case, follow the organisations working on it, and support the podcast's fight for the innocent at lavaforgood.com.
← #40 Dusty Turner #42 Noura Jackson →
Also on the podcast: #10 Jason Flom on Christmas Behind Bars: A Special Episode with Amanda Knox, Jarrett Adams, and Jeffrey Deskovic · #83 Jeffrey Deskovic - RE-RELEASE · #306 Jeffrey Holemon