New Fear Unlocked

Ep25: Smiley Face Killers

College aged men across the US have been going missing for decades, only to be discovered drowned days (sometimes even months) later. When smiley faces were discovered at many of the presumed drowning sites, it raised the question: Was this the act of a serial killing group or just creepy coincidences? Get comfy, don't grafitti smiley faces, and enjoy. For photos relating to today's case, check out @newfearpod on instagram. Theme music by Big G on Spotify. Sources: The Smiley Face Killers Conspiracy Theory Died Down. Then Came TikTok [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/smiley-face-killers-conspiracy-tiktok-theory-1234738835/] Fordham Murder Case Resurfaces After 22 Years - The Observer [https://fordhamobserver.com/38079/recent/features/fordham-murder-case-resurfaces-after-22-years/] Smiley Face Killers Map: Where Were The Alleged Victims Found? | Crime News [https://www.oxygen.com/smiley-face-killers-the-hunt-for-justice/crime-time/smiley-face-killers-map-alleged-victims] Alleged Smiley Face Killer Victims: Dakota James, Tommy Booth, Lucas Hohman | Crime News [https://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/six-alleged-victims-smiley-face-killings] Could Alleged ‘Smiley Face’ Victim Brian Welzien Have Fallen Into Lake Michigan As Investigators Initially Theorized? [https://www.oxygen.com/smiley-face-killers-the-hunt-for-justice/crime-time/brian-welzien-lake-michigan] Brian Welzien Was Possibly Dead Before He 'Drowned,' Says Forensic Pathologist | Crime News [https://www.oxygen.com/smiley-face-killers-the-hunt-for-justice/crime-time/forensic-pathologist-believes-alleged-smiley] Why Alleged ‘Smiley Face’ Victim Todd Geib Could Have Been Drugged With Antidepressants [https://www.oxygen.com/smiley-face-todd-geib-drugged-antidepressants] Decomposition ‘Pig’ Test Suggests Body Of Potential ‘Smiley Face’ Victim Todd Geib Was Not In Water Since Day He Went Missing [https://www.oxygen.com/smiley-face-killers-the-hunt-for-justice/crime-time/todd-geib-decomposition-test]

Ep24: Sherwood Brown

On March 28, 1995, Sherwood Brown was found guilty in a triple homicide case and sentenced to death. For 28 years, 23 on death row, he fought for his innocence. In 2021, the courts finally agreed with his counsel and exonerated him, making him the 100th African American in the US since 1973 to be exonerated from a wrongful conviction and death sentence. Get comfy, trust the DNA evidence, and enjoy. Sources: * Sherwood Brown Exonerated in Mississippi, 186th Death-Row Exoneration Since 1973 | Death Penalty Information Center [https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/sherwood-brown-exonerated-in-mississippi-186th-death-row-exoneration-since-1973] * Sherwood Brown - National Registry of Exonerations [https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=6039] * Wrongly convicted man survived 23 years on death row knowing he was innocent [https://www.unilad.com/news/us-news/sherwood-brown-mississippi-death-row-515073-20240517]

Ep23: Flimsy Forensics

Between 1992 and 1995, at least three different men in a small Mississippi town were convicted for brutal rape and murders: Two were sentenced to death and one to life in prison. Today, all three men have been exonerated. The reason for their exoneration? Flimsy forensics. Get comfy, approach bite mark evidence with a healthy dose of skepticism, and enjoy. Sources: * Eddie Lee Howard Is Exonerated After 26 Years on Mississippi Death Row - Innocence Project [https://innocenceproject.org/eddie-lee-howard-is-exonerated-after-26-years-on-mississippi-death-row/] * Eddie Lee Howard, Jr. - National Registry of Exonerations [https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=5911] * The Life and Legacy of Levon Brooks - Innocence Project [https://innocenceproject.org/the-life-and-legacy-of-levon-brooks/] * Levon Brooks - National Registry of Exonerations [https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=3058] * Kennedy Brewer - Innocence Project [https://innocenceproject.org/cases/kennedy-brewer/] * Kennedy Brewer - National Registry of Exonerations [https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=3047] * Life After Exoneration with Kennedy Brewer in Mississippi - Innocence Project [https://innocenceproject.org/life-after-exoneration-with-kennedy-brewer-in-mississippi/] * 'They Want To Erase Me From History:' Bite Mark Analyst Dr. Michael West Bristles At Criticism Of Him And His Work [https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/who-is-dr-michael-west-from-the-innocence-files]

Ep22: Bad Bite Marks

In the early 2000s, a jury in Mississippi convicted Leigh Stubbs and Tami Vance of a brutal assault. The prosecution’s theory on what happened relied on junk science, homophobic bias and omission of contradicting evidence. Were they really guilty or did the real attacker get away free? Join your host, Aine, in discussing the wrongful conviction of Leigh Stubbs and Tami Vance. Get comfy, don’t trust bite marks, and enjoy.  Sources: * ‘Bite Marks,’ Homophobia, and Bias: How Two Women Were Wrongly Convicted Because They Loved Each Other - Innocence Project [https://innocenceproject.org/bite-marks-lesbian-lgbtq-discrimination-wrongful-conviction/] * Leigh Stubbs - National Registry of Exonerations [https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=5398] * Leigh Stubbs, Mississippi Woman, Serving 44-Year Sentence Despite Discredited Testimony | HuffPost Latest News [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/leigh-stubbs-michael-west-forensics-discredited-testimony_n_922219] * Forensic Bitemark Analysis Not Supported by Sufficient Data, NIST Draft Review Finds [https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2022/10/forensic-bitemark-analysis-not-supported-sufficient-data-nist-draft-review] * Why Bite Mark Evidence Should Never Be Used in Criminal Trials - Innocence Project [https://innocenceproject.org/why-bite-mark-evidence-should-never-be-used-in-criminal-trials/]

Ep21: Gabriel Fernandez

On May 24, 2013, 8 year old Gabriel Fernandez died as a consequence of heinous torture and abuse at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend. His death raises the question: Why do the very systems designed to help children not step in to save them when all signs point to severe harm? PROTECT ALL KIDS. For images relating to today's case, go to @newfearpod on instagram. Sources: * 'Nothing short of evil': Judge sentences mother to life in prison and her boyfriend to death in Gabriel Fernandez murder case - Los Angeles Times [https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-gabriel-fernandez-sentencing-20180607-story.html]  * Charges dismissed against social workers linked to Gabriel Fernandez's killing [https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-07-15/charges-against-the-social-workers-linked-to-gabriel-fernandez-killing-will-be-dropped]  * Gabriel Fernandez, 8, was tortured to death. His mother didn’t like her life sentence. This is what a judge had to say. [https://www.dailynews.com/2021/06/01/no-re-sentencing-for-mother-of-gabriel-fernandez-8-in-palmdale-boys-torture-murder/]  * Honorable Mention Given to Gabriel Fernandez at Palmdale Graduation Ceremony - The San Fernando Valley Sun [https://sanfernandosun.com/2023/05/24/honorable-mention-given-to-gabriel-fernandez-at-palmdale-graduation-ceremony/] *  The Heartbreaking Story Behind Netflix's Documentary Series The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez [https://time.com/5790549/gabriel-fernandez-netflix-documentary/] * L.A. County DCFS Failed to Protect Gabriel Fernandez - The Atlantic [https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/10/la-county-dcfs-failed-protect-gabriel-fernandez/571384/]