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Letters from Sing Sing

Introducing: Letters from Sing Sing

Letters from Sing Sing

NBC News

True Crime, Incarceration, Investigative Journalism, Investigative, Dan Slepian, Sing Sing, Prison, Manhattan Da Office, Jj Velazquez, District Attorney, True Crime Podcast, Justice, True Crime Documentary, Guilt, 20 Years, Jon Adrian Velazquez, Convicted, Nbc, Manhattan District Attorney, Journalism, Barry Scheck, True Crime Documentaries, Dateline Nbc, Prisoner, Dateline, Nbc News Studios, Podcast, Murder, Investigation, Innocence, Incarcerated, Two Decades, Nbc News, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice Reform, Criminal Justice System, Sing Sing Prison, Wrongful Conviction, Documentary, Letters From Sing Sing

4.93.8K Ratings

🗓️ 10 February 2023

⏱️ 1 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In December of 2002, NBC News producer Dan Slepian got a letter from a New York state prison. It was detailed and meticulous, almost like it had been written by a lawyer. But it wasn’t. It was from a man serving 25 years to life for murder. And it ended with a desperate plea: look into my case. Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez had been convicted of killing a retired New York City police officer, but he insisted he didn’t do it. Dan was skeptical. Prosecutors said five eyewitnesses had sworn JJ was the killer. Could five people be wrong? But JJ was adamant about his innocence. He had devoted years to fighting his case, spending hours in the law library, poring over every page of his file. He was confident that if Dan looked into it, he’d see the truth. He even challenged Dan to prove him guilty. So Dan began to dig. What he discovered went far beyond just JJ’s case. And 20 years later, it’s still unfolding. Letters from Sing Sing tells the story of a man convicted of murder, a journalist, and the letter that changed both of their lives. New episodes drop every Monday through March 27, 2023.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Dear Dan, justice has no place in my life.

0:04.4

I am not simply innocent.

0:06.6

I am clearly innocent.

0:08.4

The first letter arrived on December 5, 2002.

0:13.2

It was from a man in a maximum security prison who said he didn't belong there.

0:17.6

12 jurors said you're here for a reason.

0:19.4

They didn't know the whole story.

0:21.4

That letter would spark a 20-year journey to uncover the truth.

0:26.0

It's just a horrible feeling that I carry around.

0:29.0

And because I've ruined somebody's life.

0:31.4

Why won't you open the door to talk to me?

0:33.4

The Convection Integrity Unit was a sham.

0:36.6

People should know that.

0:38.0

They were not interested in the truth.

0:40.4

What I learned happened in this case,

0:42.4

and how the people in the system defended it,

0:45.1

honked me every day.

0:47.6

I think deserve this.

0:49.2

My children did deserve this.

0:51.7

My son is not a murderer.

0:53.9

He is not.

0:55.6

Tell me, Dan, what's he going to take?

...

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