Episode Details

This episode chronicles the wrongful conviction of Michael Politte, who was arrested at age fourteen for the vicious murder of his mother, Rita. Although he was sentenced to life in prison based on flawed forensic science and a questionable confession, his sisters and a legal team from the Innocence Project eventually uncovered evidence that challenged the original verdict. New analysis proved that the accelerant detected on Michael's shoes was likely a chemical from the manufacturing process rather than gasoline. After serving over two decades, Michael was released on parole due to new juvenile sentencing laws, though he continues to fight for full exoneration. The investigation has since been reopened to examine alternative suspects, including Michael’s father and his father's cousin.

This episode includes AI-generated content.