Can you imagine being accused of a crime you didn't commit? Even worse, imagine this happening while outside your home country - and in a language you don't fully understand. What would you do?

In this episode of the Truth Be Told podcast, host Dave Thompson speaks with Amanda Knox about her life after the wrongful conviction that changed her life - and made international headlines.

They discuss the challenges of reclaiming her story, the impact of social media on public perception, and the importance of remembering the victims in wrongful conviction cases.

Amanda shares her experiences leading up to the tragic murder of her friend Meredith Kercher and the chaotic aftermath that followed, including the media's misinterpretation of her reactions and the struggle for truth in a polarized and misinformed world. In this conversation, Amanda Knox shares her harrowing experience of wrongful conviction and the psychological impact of her interrogation. She discusses the assumptions made by investigators, the tactics used during her interrogation, and the broader implications of false confessions. Knox emphasizes the importance of understanding the trauma associated with wrongful convictions and the need for reform in interrogation practices. The conversation also touches on the media narratives that shaped public perception and the ongoing consequences for those wrongfully accused.

Learn more about Amanda's work on her website and check out her podcast, Labryinths.

Truths:

• Amanda feels she is still chasing her narrative, as the day her identify was “stolen” was when she was interrogated and told her reality was different than what she knew to be true.
• Reactions to the crime scene were misinterpreted, without supporting context or information for the public to know.
• Media judgment can (and has) distorted public perception and interpretation of major incidents.
• Similar to witnesses and victims exposed to traumatic events, Amanda's emotional response was misunderstood.
• Misclassification can lead to devastating consequences in investigations.
• The criminal justice system was never on Amanda's radar. Investigators made assumptions that led to wrongful conclusions.
• False confessions often stem from coercive tactics or confirmation bias in investigations.
• Wrongful convictions affect not just the victim of the crime, but also the wrongly convicted individual, their families and loved ones.
• Often forgotten in a wrongful conviction is the impact to public safety which allows the actual perpetrator to continue to commit additional crimes.
• Understanding the psychological impact of interrogation is crucial for everyone involved.
• Reform in interrogation practices is necessary to prevent false confessions.

Part 2 of this series brings you to the trial preparation of an attempted murder case, with the defendant facing a potential life sentence. We'll hear the emotional perspective of the attorneys throughout the life of the case and explore the psychology of false confessions. This episode also highlights the work of a false confession expert as we discussed how lying about evidence and contamination during an interrogation can lead to unreliable results.

Ever wonder what it’s like behind the scenes of trial preparation for attempted murder? In this two-part Special Edition of the Truth Be Told podcast, we explore a case from 2014 out of Brooklyn, NY where heroes from FDNY rescued two young children who were trapped inside a burning apartment. As the flames subsided, the investigation ensued, and police were pointed at a primary suspect for the alleged arson. Once in custody, the police conducted an interrogation which produced a controversial confession to the incident. This resulted in the defendant facing multiple charges of attempted murder, assault and arson with the potential of spending life in prison.

However, as the legal team of Adam Heyman, Anna Carlsen and Sarah Siegel learned more about their assigned case – it was not as open and shut as it seemed. This team of attorneys joined the Truth Be Told podcast to give their perspective on how they reviewed the case, prepared for trial and ultimately represented their client. The team also brought in Maria Hartwig, PhD, an expert in false confessions and police interrogation techniques to provide her opinion to the court on the reliability of the confession that loomed over their case. Professor Hartwig also joins the panel to share the research behind false confessions and the common contributors, such as misclassification, coercion and contamination.

This two-part episode is intended to provide you the insight and perspective from the legal team of the defendant, and understanding how an expert witness is effectively used at trial. For investigators, this series also provides several takeaways on how to ensure evidence is collected appropriately and can be relied on for further investigation or prosecution. Our hope is to provide future jurors, investigators, attorneys and anyone involved in the courtroom working group with a new perspective on how our system is built on the foundational premise of “innocent until proven guilty."

*Disclaimer: This podcast series does not represent a comprehensive review of the investigation into this case, but rather highlights the perspective of the defense team. There are no assertions made by the Truth Be Told podcast as to the integrity of the investigation itself or the reliability of the statements provided by involved parties. We encourage listeners to review all the information and formulate their own opinion relative to the case but with a more enlightened perspective provided by our panel of guests.

Ever wonder what it’s like behind the scenes of trial preparation for attempted murder? In this two-part Special Edition of the Truth Be Told podcast, we explore a case from 2014 out of Brooklyn, NY where heroes from FDNY rescued two young children who were trapped inside a burning apartment. As the flames subsided, the investigation ensued, and police were pointed at a primary suspect for the alleged arson. Once in custody, the police conducted an interrogation which produced a controversial confession to the incident. This resulted in the defendant facing multiple charges of attempted murder, assault and arson with the potential of spending life in prison.

However, as the legal team of Adam Heyman, Anna Carlsen and Sarah Siegel learned more about their assigned case – it was not as open and shut as it seemed. This team of attorneys joined the Truth Be Told podcast to give their perspective on how they reviewed the case, prepared for trial and ultimately represented their client. The team also brought in Maria Hartwig, PhD, an expert in false confessions and police interrogation techniques to provide her opinion to the court on the reliability of the confession that loomed over their case. Professor Hartwig also joins the panel to share the research behind false confessions and the common contributors, such as misclassification, coercion and contamination.

This two-part episode is intended to provide you the insight and perspective from the legal team of the defendant, and understanding how an expert witness is effectively used at trial. For investigators, this series also provides several takeaways on how to ensure evidence is collected appropriately and can be relied on for further investigation or prosecution. Our hope is to provide future jurors, investigators, attorneys and anyone involved in the courtroom working group with a new perspective on how our system is built on the foundational premise of “innocent until proven guilty."

Disclaimer: This podcast series does not represent a comprehensive review of the investigation into this case,but rather highlights the perspective of the defense team. There are no assertions made by the Truth Be Told podcast as to the integrity of the investigation itself or the reliability of the statements provided by involved parties. We encourage listeners to review all the information and formulate their own opinion relative to the case but with a more enlightened perspective provided by our panel of guests.