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The Case of Melvin Ortiz
📻 Episode #258
🎙️ Hosted by Maggie Freleng
📅 May 09, 2022
About This Episode
On December 23, 1997, a botched robbery at a popular pizza restaurant in Reading, PA resulted in the death of its beloved owner, George Clauser. A reward in the paper led police to 19 year old Melvin Ortiz, when two individuals with obvious agendas implicated him. Despite 19 alibi witnesses placing Melvin at a birthday…
The Case
On December 23, 1997, a botched robbery at a popular pizza restaurant in Reading, PA resulted in the death of its beloved owner, George Clauser. A reward in the paper led police to 19 year old Melvin Ortiz, when two individuals with obvious agendas implicated him. Despite 19 alibi witnesses placing Melvin at a birthday party at the time of the crime, Melvin was sentenced to spend life in prison without parole. Maggie speaks to Melvin Ortiz at SCI - Dallas, PA., Marc Howard J.D., Melvin's advocate, and Victoria Blanco, Melvin's fiancee.
If anyone has any information on this case, please email freemelvinortiz@gmail.com
https://www.freemelvinortiz.org/
@freemelvinortiz on instagram, twitter, facebook, tiktok
https://www.change.org/MelvinOrtiz
https://www.instagram.com/freemelvinortiz/
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.
00:05:00“Speaker 6: Was probably about the third grade, you know, I think Speaker 6: we said like nine years old something like that. Speaker 1: Melvin's parents said they moved to Reading because Redding had Speaker 1: a large welfare program that assisted poor families like theirs. Speaker 1: Reading Pennsylvania was quite different from the Bronx. They moved”
00:19:40“Speaker 1: Remember one was in white pants and a blue hoodie. Speaker 1: And the other in black pants and a purple hoodie. Speaker 1: That night, again, Melvin wore a black hoodie and khaki Speaker 1: pants that was not what the shooters were described to Speaker 1: be wearing, and later remember he changed into black pants”
00:33:58“Speaker 11: didn't know what it was, I'm like, what he's like Speaker 11: the bag behind the door. Speaker 1: According to Tina, the bag contained a mask, gloves, and Speaker 11: And then that evening is when he sat down with Speaker 11: me more and told me what supposedly had happened, that”
Listen to the Episode
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