That ruling did not come until 2017. In the final months leading up to it, as the original investigation and trial transcripts were closely re-examined by the Conviction Integrity Unit of the Suffolk DA's office, we were horrified and heartbroken to finally learn the extent of the miscarriage of justice. Instead of one victim of this senseless crime, there had in fact been two: Jeffrey lost his life, but in a very real way so did Fred, who should never even have been a suspect in, let alone convicted of, Jeffrey's death. When we stood in court at the final hearing last summer, it was in full support of Fred's exoneration, and August 8th will forever be etched in our hearts, as "Exoneration Day".

The Mass Exoneration podcast gives those involved in wrongful conviction cases a chance to share their experiences in their own words. Jerry and I were honored to participate in the making of the first episode, which focuses on Frederick Clay. You'll hear a little bit from us, but really this episode is Fred's story, and he's the one best suited to tell it. His innate grace and compassion humble us, and serve to remind us all that every human being is, first and foremost, a person, deserving of dignity, respect, and forgiveness, regardless of all else.

Justice demands something of every citizen: our participation. So, I sincerely hope you'll subscribe, not just to Fred's episode, but to the four additional stories in the series (a new episode to be released every two weeks). These stories should spark some hard thinking, and hopefully discussion, about how, together, we might finally achieve that promised "and justice for all".