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Letters from Sing Sing

Introducing: Letters from Sing Sing

Letters from Sing Sing

NBC News

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

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.

0:04.5

I am not simply innocent.

0:06.6

I am clearly innocent.

0:08.9

The first letter arrived on December 5, 2002.

0:13.1

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

0:17.6

Twelve jurors said you're here for a reason.

0:19.4

They didn't know the whole story.

0:21.9

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 because I've ruined somebody's life.

0:31.5

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

0:33.4

The Conviction Integrity Unit was a sham.

0:36.6

People should know that.

0:37.9

They were not interested in the truth.

0:40.5

What I learned happened in this case

0:42.1

and how the people in the system defended it

0:44.7

haunts me every day.

0:47.6

I didn't deserve this.

0:49.2

My children didn't deserve this.

0:51.7

My son is not a murderer.

0:53.8

He is not.

0:55.6

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

0:58.8

From NBC News Studios, I'm Dan Slepian, and this is Letters from Sing Sing.

...

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