As we come to the end of season one, reporter Tessa Kramer is left with some lingering questions. How are the injustices we've seen in this story woven into the DNA of our criminal legal system? Is there hope for genuine reform? And what role c

Bonus

A Note from Tessa on Evan Gershkovich

Apr 18th, 2023 4m 38s

The final episode of our first season is coming soon, but first: a message from Tessa on the arrest of her friend, Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who is wrongfully detained in Russia. For more information, visit www.freegershk

Ch. 11 - Repress It, Suppress It

Apr 11th, 2023 37m 35s

The case of Earl Washington left a permanent stain on Virginia’s state crime lab. What does this case, and its aftermath, reveal about the lab's record of reviewing misconduct within its own four walls?More information on the case of Earl Wash

Ch. 10 - The Ultimate Form of Gaslighting

Apr 4th, 2023 26m 48s

As we approach the end of our reporting, Tessa revisits Gina Demas, the whistleblower, to see where the events of our story have left her, and to give her an update on our investigation. Will she get any vindication?More information on Dana Go

Ch. 9 – The Burden

Mar 28th, 2023 42m 12s

Three women attacked on one fateful night in Norfolk, Virginia. All three identify the same man. Decades after his conviction, DNA analysis proves his innocence, leaving the women with more questions than answers. The people falsely convicted a

Ch. 8 - Lights and Sirens

Mar 21st, 2023 31m 40s

In the midst of our reporting, another man is exonerated based on Mary Jane Burton’s clippings – Winston Scott. But one thing isn’t clear: why was Scott convicted in the first place? Reporter Tessa Kramer takes the original serology reports to

Ch. 7 - Too Little Too Late

Mar 14th, 2023 28m 54s

The discovery of Mary Jane Burton’s clippings sparks a review of thousands of case files. This massive effort to find wrongly convicted people is unprecedented. Yet the slow effort by the lab raises questions. Were they afraid of what they’d fi

Ch. 6 - "Bad Documentation"

Mar 7th, 2023 35m 57s

Whistleblower Gina Demas wasn’t the only one with concerns about Mary Jane Burton. Tessa Kramer sits down with two former lab employees whose careers soared following Gina’s fight with the lab. What do they remember about Mary Jane’s work? And

Ch. 5 - Politics and Science

Feb 28th, 2023 35m 5s

Falsifying results, skipping tests, and ignoring scientific protocols -- why weren’t these concerns addressed by the Virginia state crime lab? Whistleblower Gina Demas finds herself caught in a clash between science and office politics.

Ch. 4 - The Show and Tell Girl

Feb 21st, 2023 26m 58s

Who was this storied serologist, Mary Jane Burton? While her work is preserved in case files, bench notes, and court transcripts, little is known about her interior life. As we gather more detail about her life, uncovering mysteries and tragedi

Ch. 3 - Pandora's Box

Feb 14th, 2023 31m 23s

Reporter Tessa Kramer gets her hands on a box that’s been gathering dust for 40 years – a time capsule from the crime lab’s pre-DNA era. To decipher the evidence, we’ll seek the help of an outside expert and put the whistleblower’s credibility

Ch. 2 - Oil and Water

Feb 7th, 2023 29m 57s

Forensic scientist Mary Jane Burton cracks some of Virginia’s toughest and most gruesome cases – what’s her secret? When a young trainee brings fresh eyes to Mary Jane’s work, the answer to this question is not what she expected. But can we tru

Ch. 1 - The Holy Cow Moment

Feb 7th, 2023 30m 29s

DNA was a revolution for crime solving and for one mother, it could be the key to proving her son’s innocence. Her journey leads to a miraculous discovery at the Virginia Department of Forensic Science. What follows is an astounding series of e