Last Chance
Summary
This episode examines the wrongful conviction of Damon Thibodeau, who spent 16 years on death row for the 1996 murder of 14-year-old Crystal Champagne. Thibodeau falsely confessed after intense interrogation, despite a lack of physical evidence and medical findings contradicting his story. With help from attorneys and a changed District Attorney, he was exonerated in 2012, though he died in 2021 before the real killer was identified.
Topics discussed
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The disappearance and murder of Crystal Champagne
Damon Thibodeau's arrest and confession
Discrepancies between confession and forensic evidence
The trial and conviction despite lack of physical evidence
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Life on death row and the start of the appeal
New legal team uncovers alibi and witness errors
Strategy to persuade the District Attorney
Damon's relationship with his son Josh
DA Paul Connick agrees to reinvestigate the case
Unanswered questions and overlooked suspects
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The suspicious discovery of the body by John Tomlinson
Psychiatric evaluation and DA's change of heart
Damon's release, reunion, and eventual death
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