logo
episode-header-image
Oct 30
48m 47s

#549 Lauren Bright Pacheco with James So...

LAVA FOR GOOD PODCASTS
About this episode

Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco is back November 13th with all new episodes. So today, we’re revisiting one of the most memorable episode from her last season, episode #454, James Soto:
James “Jimmy” Soto was wrongfully convicted at age 20 for a 1981 double homicide in Chicago’s Little Village despite no physical evidence and multiple alibi witnesses. Jimmy and his cousin David spent 42 years in prison — the longest wrongful conviction sentences in Illinois history. While incarcerated, Jimmy earned a college degree and became a jailhouse lawyer, helping others, including his former cellmate Robert Almodovar. The two formed a lifelong bond — and now, both exonerated, they’re rebuilding their lives together on the outside.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/life-after-42-yrs-of-wrongful-imprisonment
https://paroleillinois.org/

Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Nov 20
#551 Lauren Bright Pacheco with Marvin Grimm Jr.
<p>On November 22, 1975, a mother reported her three-year-old son missing after seeing him roaming in the vicinity of a wooded area behind their apartment complex in Richmond, VA. His body was found in the river nine miles from his home four days later. The murder garnered tremen ... Show More
39m 21s
Nov 13
#550 Lauren Bright Pacheco with Oscar Eagle
On March 14, 1998, 16-year-old Benjamin Urias was shot in the Pico-Union neighborhood in Los Angeles, CA. The shot was not fatal, but Urias was hospitalized for two days. Urius was member of the 18th Street Gang, and told investigators that the shooter walked with a limp and shou ... Show More
35m 54s
Nov 7
Introducing - Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco | Season 2
Six new, inspiring episodes of Wrongful Conviction, hosted by Lauren Bright Pacheco, that celebrate the potential of human connection to empower ordinary people to overcome extraordinary odds and injustices. Real individuals who unexpectedly became one another’s personal heroes b ... Show More
1m 52s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2022
Episode 14: Renewed Hope
<p>Forensic biologist Dr Kirsty Wright says she&rsquo;s found irrefutable evidence that the forensics train wreck in Shandee&rsquo;s case is not a one-off incident &ndash; and reveals the shocking results that have led her to believe many victims of rape and serious sexual assaul ... Show More
1h 20m
Dec 2020
Episode 11 - Fate
Was Janine Vaughan murdered by a Bathurst man with a propensity for shocking acts of violence? Women who have been with him describe his depravity and cruelty. Or was she killed by a different man who has been dead for years? A man who worked at The Dirty Tav, drove around in a s ... Show More
1h 48m
Apr 2025
Samuel Little: America's Most Prolific Serial Killer
<p>Retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong examines the chilling case of Samuel Little, the most prolific serial killer in United States history. For nearly four decades, Little preyed on the society’s most vulnerable, evading justice as he carried out a staggering ... Show More
47m 30s
Feb 2025
REWIND | The Weleetka Murders
Two young girls shot dead in a town of less than 1000 people. With local law enforcement stumped, they turned to the renowned FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit for answers. Julia Cowley is a retired FBI criminal profiler with a twist - she's a forensic scientist too. In this episode w ... Show More
51m 35s
Feb 2025
Stephen Reitz
<p>Stephen Reitz invoked a sleepwalking defense after he was charged with killing a woman during a weekend getaway. He claimed he woke up from a dream that he was fighting off an intruder and discovered her body. Investigators doubted his story, especially when they uncovered evi ... Show More
1h 9m
Sep 2024
Cold Cases & Serial Killers: Inside The World Of A Famous Homicide Prosecutor
From solving cold-cases to putting multiple serial-killers behind bars, Matt Murphy is one of America’s top homicide prosecutors. Many of his cases are known as some of America’s biggest crimes that have made headlines worldwide, including the Dirty John case that became a global ... Show More
39m 28s
Mar 2022
Episode 18: Fair Go
<p>Will Shandee Blackburn ever get justice? Will systemic flaws in Queensland&rsquo;s forensic lab be independently investigated by the authorities?</p> <p>In this episode of the podcast series &ndash; which is pausing until new leads arise &ndash; Dr Kirsty Wright reveals the le ... Show More
1h 19m
Mar 2025
Albert Fish, The Real-Life Boogeyman: A Conversation with True Crime Author Harold Schechter
<p>Retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong examines the case of Albert Fish. Though he appeared harmless, Fish was anything but; his crimes were fueled by a disturbing blend of sadism, cruelty, and unimaginable depravity. Candice unpacks the disturbing psychology b ... Show More
46m 47s
Oct 6
INFAMOUS: The Murdaugh Family Murders
<p>When Maggie and Paul Murdaugh are killed on their family’s estate in 2021, the investigation unravels a history of privilege, corruption, and suspicious deaths tied to one of South Carolina’s most influential families. But beneath the headlines and courtroom drama are stories ... Show More
56m 1s