logo
episode-header-image
Jun 29
34m 15s

South Carolina's Child Execution

Al Jazeera
About this episode

In 1944, amid the harsh glare of Jim Crow, 14-year-old George Stinney Jr. was strapped into South Carolina’s electric chair after a trial that lasted just a single day. With no physical evidence, no defense witnesses, and an all-white jury that deliberated for ten minutes, he was convicted of murdering two white girls.

Nearly seven decades later, a judge threw out the verdict. What does George’s story tell us about the US justice system and the ways it continues to fail African-Americans?

In this episode:

  • Matthew Burgess (@MattBurgessLaw ), Criminal Defence Attorney
  • Dr Melanie Holmes, Assistant Professor of African American Studies

Episode credits:

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.

Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari.

Production Managers: Archan Mohile and Bronte Baskin.

Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf.

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman.

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

Up next
Jun 15
The Philippine Vampire Mystery
In the 1950s, fear gripped the Philippines as rumors of a blood-drinking vampire spread across the countryside. One chilling death sparked widespread panic, leaving villagers to wonder if a supernatural predator was lurking in the shadows. At the same time, the CIA was locked in ... Show More
28m 27s
Jun 1
The Human Hunters of Sarajevo
Could the unthinkable be true? In the aftermath of the Bosnian War — a conflict marked by atrocities and genocide — rumors swirled of wealthy outsiders flying into war-torn Sarajevo to pay for a gruesome and forbidden thrill: hunting humans for sport. What sort of person would ta ... Show More
32m 47s
May 12
We're on a mid-season break
Thank you for joining us for the first 10 episodes of True Crime Reports. We’ll be taking a mid-season break, but have no fear, we will be back with 10 more episodes! In the meantime, catch up on the latest episodes and share your thoughts with us, we enjoy reading your comments. ... Show More
35s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2024
Diddy, a Kettlebell, and a Headlock: What Really Happened at UCLA in 2015
On this episode, Tony Brueski digs into the reemergence of a nearly decade-old incident that took place between music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs and UCLA staff. In 2015, Diddy was arrested for allegedly assaulting his son’s football coach, Sal Alosi, putting him in a headlock, and ... Show More
12m 8s
Oct 2024
Talking Dateline: The Night of the Nor’easter
Blayne Alexander and Andrea Canning discuss Andrea’s episode, “The Night of the Nor’easter.”  In 2022, Karen Read was charged with killing her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, by drunkenly backing her car into him in blizzard conditions. She says that never happened ... Show More
21m 59s
Apr 2024
Ep 2: A Sensational Trial
Nobin’s murder trial and Madhavchandra Giri’s adultery trial turned into spectator sports in Bengal. But was justice served? 'Murder in Bengal' is season 1 of 'Forgotten Crimes,' a true crime podcast by TS Studios, where we delve into major crimes that shook society at the time, ... Show More
13m 8s
Jun 25
Talking Dateline: Center of the Storm
Blayne Alexander sits down with Andrea Canning to talk about her latest episode, “Center of the Storm.” The 2024 trial of Karen Read garnered national attention as she fought allegations that in 2022, she drunkenly backed her SUV into her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’K ... Show More
21m 24s
Nov 2024
Judge Say's Diddy's Jane & John Doe Accusers Need To Be Named
Did Diddy’s alleged past just get even darker? In this episode, the layers of allegations against Sean "Diddy" Combs go deeper, with chilling claims stretching back nearly two decades, including accusations involving minors. Former prosecutor and attorney Eric Faddis breaks down ... Show More
23m 5s
Dec 2024
Dramatic closings in the tech exec trial. Debate over DNA analysis in a quadruple homicide. And Dennis Murphy on Amanda Knox.
Listen to this week's episode of the Dateline: True Crime Weekly podcast with Andrea Canning. A jury in San Francisco begins deliberations in the trial of the accused killer of the Cash App co-founder. And in suburban New Jersey, science takes center stage in the courtroom ahead ... Show More
28m 35s
Oct 2024
Meet Diddy's New Judge, Arun Subramanian
In this gripping episode, we explore the complex and high-profile trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, set to begin in May 2025. At the center of the courtroom is Judge Arun Subramanian, a meticulous and highly respected legal mind with a deep commitment to fairness. We dive into Subrama ... Show More
11m 1s
Mar 2025
The Murder of Raymond Green (Massachusetts)
When a new manager was gunned down at work during a narrow window of time when most of the staff should have been on lunch break, investigators honed in on two possible suspects among the victim’s employees. To this day, the convicted killer and his supporters are convinced polic ... Show More
37m 46s
Nov 2024
Talking Dateline: Deadly Dance
Andrea Canning and Blayne Alexander sit down to talk about Andrea’s episode, “Deadly Dance.”  In 2020, former ballerina Ashley Benefield claimed she acted in self-defense after fatally shooting her husband, Doug Benefield. But to investigators, the crime scene pointed to one thin ... Show More
24m 44s