309. The Innocent Man Who Spent 28 Years in Prison - The Murder of Markus Boyd

On this episode, Garrett and Payton examine the murder of Marcus Boyd, who was killed outside his own home. As investigators search for answers and come up empty, they make a decision no one saw coming. Links: Netflix Video Every Monday @11am PST, 12pm MST, 2pm EST 1pm CST https://www.netflix.com/murderwithmyhusband Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/murderwithmyhusband NEW MERCH LINK: https://mwmhshop.com Discount Codes: https://mailchi.mp/c6f48670aeac/oh-no-media-discount-codes Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/themwmh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murderwithmyhusband/ Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@murderwithmyhusband Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/into-the-dark/id1662304327 Listen on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36SDVKB2MEWpFGVs9kRgQ7?si=f5224c9fd99542a7 Case Sources: PBS.org - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/missouri-judge-cites-actual-innocence-in-overturning-conviction-of-man-imprisoned-nearly-30-years STLPR.org - https://www.stlpr.org/law-order/2024-01-17/a-year-after-gaining-freedom-lamar-johnson-sues-over-his-time-in-prison BBC.com - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64645333 InnocenceProject.org - https://innocenceproject.org/take-action/ LathroGPM.com - https://www.lathropgpm.com/insights/client-exonerated-after-spending-nearly-30-years-in-prison/ Felony Murder Elimination Project - https://www.endfmrnow.org/no-compensation-available-from-state-to-exonerated-lamar-johnson GoFundMe.com - https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-lamar-johnson-after-wrongful-conviction People.com - https://people.com/mo-man-wrongfully-convicted-and-imprisoned-28-years-sues-st-louis-claims-officers-framed-him-8431962 Oxygen.com - https://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/lamar-johnson-innocent-marcus-boyd-murder-spend-24-years-prison-prosecutor-says KSDK.com - https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/lamar-johnson-and-his-daughter-speak-out-after-murder-conviction-vacated/63-6f1b0610-87ea-41d7-bf09-9a35f6e14635 KansasCity.com - https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article270471927.html TheCinemaholic.com - https://thecinemaholic.com/markus-boyd/ SpectrumLocalNew.com - https://spectrumlocalnews.com/mo/st-louis/news/2022/12/14/witness-who-helped-convict-man--testimony-still--haunts--him InjusticeWatch.org - https://www.injusticewatch.org/archive/2019/st-louis-man-prosecutors-say-is-innocent-remains-in-prison-waiting-for-court/ Colorado Law - https://lawreview.colorado.edu/print/volume-96/manufacturing-false-convictions-lies-and-the-corrupt-use-of-jailhouse-informants-russell-d-covey/ CBSNews.com - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lamar-johnson-marcus-boyd-murder-missouri-exonerated-48-hours/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:02Speaker 00

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• 0:21Speaker 01

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• 0:50Payton Moreland?

  You're listening to an Ono Media Podcast. Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast. This is Murder with my husband. I'm Payton Moreland.

• 0:57Garrett Moreland?

  And I'm Garrett Moreland.

• 0:58Payton Moreland?

  And he's the husband.

• 0:59Garrett Moreland?

  I'm the husband.

• 1:00Payton Moreland?

  We have amazing news. If you are listening and heard about the Netflix announcement, but realized that it wasn't available in your country. I have good news. It is most likely now available in your country.

• 1:16Garrett Moreland?

  Worldwide. World, wait, who sings that? Who's Mr. Worldwide? Is that Pitbull?

• 1:21Payton Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 1:21Garrett Moreland?

  Worldwide, it is worldwide. Say that three times fast.

• 1:25Payton Moreland?

  It's worldwide?

• 1:26Garrett Moreland?

  No, worldwide, say it three times fast.

• 1:28Payton Moreland?

  Worldwide, worldwide, worldwide.

• 1:29Garrett Moreland?

  Oh, that was good. Like Peyton said, it is available everywhere. Go and check it out. We're extremely excited. I didn't think it would be available everywhere this fast. So we're there. We're on your Netflix. Please go listen, please go add it to my list. And yeah, that's, that's the big announcement. It's crazy. We just found out.

• 1:54Payton Moreland?

  Today?

• 1:54Garrett Moreland?

  Today, right before we recorded this.

• 1:56Payton Moreland?

  Which I'm so glad because so many people who love to watch weren't able to watch because it wasn't available in their country. But now it is. All right, Garrett, do you have a 10 seconds for us today?

• 2:08Garrett Moreland?

  I've been sitting here for a long time trying to think of my 10 seconds and I can't. I just can't think of anything. So I'll do a vote. What do the people want? Should I buzz my hair or should I let it keep growing out? That's my 10 seconds. I don't. Look, bagels, I've been, that's my life right now is bagels, podcast, golf. It's it. That's all I got going right now.

• 2:32Payton Moreland?

  Valentine's.

• 2:33Garrett Moreland?

  What do, what about, I mean, yeah, Valentine's is fun. No, it was. We had a great time paying through a big party. And it was, it was really, really fun. She did a great job planning it. Very proud of her. I didn't know if you wanted to talk about it or not.

• 2:49Payton Moreland?

  Oh, no, I was just saying that was kind of fun this.

• 2:51Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, I was. No, I didn't say anything because I'm saying I didn't know if you.

• 2:55Payton Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 2:55Garrett Moreland?

  It was really fun.

• 2:56Payton Moreland?

  If you're new here, I danced on college dance teams. So I had a bunch of my friends from way back then come over and we had a huge Valentine's party.

• 3:04Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah. So, yeah, um, we had a really fun Valentine's party. It was like a dinner party and we didn't have to cook or do dishes. Which might have been the best part. For anyone that cooks, doing dishes is always the worst part.

• 3:19Payton Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 3:20Garrett Moreland?

  I'm the dishwasher in the family. So, yeah, um, let's take a vote. If you want me to buzz my head or keep the hair growing. That's all I got. It's been bugging me and I can't decide. And on that note, I think we have a pretty good episode. So let's get right into this week's episode.

• 3:40Payton Moreland?

  Our sources for this episode are pbs.org, stlpr.org, bbc.com, innocenceproject.org, lathrogpm.com, felony murder elimination project, gofundme.com, people.com, oxygen, ksdk.com, kansascity.com, thecinemaholic.com, spectrum, localnew.com, injusticewatch.org, Colorado Law and CBS News.

• 4:04Garrett Moreland?

  Cinemaholic?

• 4:06Payton Moreland?

  Cinemaholic.

• 4:07Garrett Moreland?

  Ah, okay.

• 4:08Payton Moreland?

  Yeah, we're talking about cinnamon today.

• 4:11Garrett Moreland?

  Really hungry. I haven't eaten anything all day. I thought we could talk about cinnamon rolls or something.

• 4:16Payton Moreland?

  Yeah. Our biggest reason for doing this show is to honor victims of senseless tragedies. To make sure their stories are told respectfully and that their memories are not forgotten. But the truth is, when a violent crime is committed, there are many more victims beyond the deceased. There's the families and friends who lost their loved one, witnesses who are left replaying the awful scene over and over, and suffering the effects of that psychological harm. And then sometimes, there's a rare victim in these cases. And it's those who were wrongfully convicted.

• 4:59Payton Moreland?

  Innocent people who spend years, or even their entire lives in prison, for a crime they did not commit. It's like taking a tragedy and then adding a tragedy on top of it. Yeah. So today, I am gonna share a story with you that has not one, but two victims. It's like, right when you think true crime can't get worse, it gets worse. So today, we are dialing back the clock to 1994, and traveling to St. Louis, Missouri, to meet a man named Marcus Boyd. Marcus was 25 years old, and his life really was just getting started. He had recently moved in with his girlfriend, Leslie Williamson,

• 5:45Payton Moreland?

  and the two actually had a baby together, a little infant daughter. And Marcus was doing everything he could at 25 to give his little family the best life possible. He'd been working at a printing company, where his coworkers said he was really well-liked and respected. Marcus was always seen as a hard worker, while bringing some levity to the job, which is how he had made so many friends there. But the printing job wasn't exactly enough to make ends meet for Marcus. With a girlfriend and a baby to provide for, he needed another small job on the side to earn extra cash to pay the bills.

• 6:27Payton Moreland?

  And already working a full-time job, he turned to selling drugs, specifically crack cocaine on the side. Now, one of Marcus's colleagues at the print store, a 30-year-old guy named James Gregory Elking, or Greg, was actually a usual customer of Marcus's. So they're colleagues and work together at the print store, but then Marcus also sells drugs to Greg. Now Greg and Marcus had grown close at work. Greg said Marcus had a heart of gold and genuinely was selling drugs because he wanted to build a better future for his family. That was his sole reason for even getting into this business.

• 7:09Payton Moreland?

  And that might be why Greg even felt comfortable buying his drugs from Marcus. So on the night of October 30th, 1994, Greg swung by Marcus's house in the evening to make a purchase. Only, he didn't have enough money with him, so Marcus turned him down. Plus, they both had work in the morning. Drugs were the last thing either of them needed on this Sunday night. So instead, the two just hung out on Marcus's porch for a bit while Leslie and Marcus's daughter were upstairs. So this October night, it was around 9:00 PM, 1994.

• 7:48Payton Moreland?

  The two were cracking jokes and having a few laughs, when suddenly Greg saw the smile on Marcus's face turn to pure fear. That's when Greg turned around to see that there were two masked men coming out of the darkness, walking up to Marcus's house. Both of them had on dark clothing and their masks revealed nothing but their eyes. The men were racing up the steps and one of them immediately tackled Marcus and it became a violent scuffle. Before anyone knew it, the same attacker pulled out a gun and fired three shots at Marcus.

• 8:31Payton Moreland?

  Greg said the flash was so bright, it lit up the guy's faces. But even then, he couldn't make out much more other than them being black males. So Greg is sitting here, Marcus has just been shot three times by these random men who came up and attacked them.

• 8:47Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 8:47Payton Moreland?

  They turn around after shooting Marcus and dart back into the night, leaving Greg basically unharmed.

• 8:55Garrett Moreland?

  Okay.

• 8:55Payton Moreland?

  And Greg, who had his own criminal history and literally was there to buy drugs, also chose to run off into the night, not wanting to get caught up in anything he shouldn't be. Leslie, obviously the girlfriend, heard the gunfire from inside and had called the police. And around nine oh seven PM, first responders arrived to find Marcus severely injured. Now, some sources say he was already dead, while others say he was then rushed to a hospital and died from his injuries later that night.

• 9:30Garrett Moreland?

  Oh, so he's dead.

• 9:31Payton Moreland?

  Either way, he is dead. But that night, Marcus left behind his wife, his young daughter, and an intense miscarriage of justice was about to follow.

• 9:44Garrett Moreland?

  You know, it's so interesting. I think I've mentioned it before. I mean, I know I've mentioned it before. How some people can get shot like five, six, seven times? And they're fine, and then someone will get shot once. I mean, obviously it's about where you got shot, but it's just so, it's crazy. It's just, it's so interesting, right? If it hits, um, like a major artery or something, or if it just goes through and through, whatever it is. Yeah.

• 10:10Payton Moreland?

  So right away, it seemed clear to police that this shooting was a dispute over drug money.

• 10:18Payton Moreland?

  But they learned something else when they spoke to Marcus's heartbroken girlfriend, Leslie. She actually suspected one of the men to be Marcus's old friend, someone else who had been selling drugs and may have actually introduced Marcus into the game. It was a guy named Lamar Johnson, who she thought Marcus had had a recent fight with, but she couldn't be sure. And sometimes I think in these cases, you know, someone brings up a suspect and you feel like someone's, why are they immediately throwing someone else under the bus? We have to remember, police, the first thing they're gonna ask Leslie is, does your boyfriend have any enemies?

• 11:02Payton Moreland?

  Who would have done this? And so she's going to be racking her brain for, was he fighting with anyone recently? Did he have bad blood?

• 11:09Garrett Moreland?

  It's gonna be so hard too, because they're gonna be like, oh, he was selling drugs? They're gonna be like, oh, okay, right, the, the tension to it is gonna shift immediately.

• 11:19Payton Moreland?

  Right.

• 11:20Garrett Moreland?

  Which, I mean, it's hard. I mean, I understand. I get both sides, so.

• 11:23Payton Moreland?

  Yeah. So she's like, hey, I think it might be this Lamar guy. She told police that their best bet at finding someone was actually through Marcus's coworker, Greg Elking, who she knew was at the house with Marcus and had obviously run away before the police could arrive. And as the sole witness to the crime, police knew they needed to talk to him. It took police four days to get Greg down to the station. And while he was terrified and reluctant to talk, he knew that he was probably the only chance at bringing Marcus justice. So he decided to come forward and speak. He told police he didn't get a good look at either of the two assailants,

• 12:07Payton Moreland?

  since they were fully covered, aside from their eyes. But he did notice they were both dark-skinned men. So the police show him some photos and Greg said, I just don't think any of these guys are right. But the detectives questioning him kept applying pressure, saying things like, I know you know who it is. And then they show him a photo of the person Leslie named Lamar Johnson. I'm not sure if Greg had ever met Lamar before because obviously Greg and Lamar are both friends of Marcus, the victim. It seems like he didn't have any idea who Lamar was. But the detective kept encouraging Greg, saying things like,

• 12:50Payton Moreland?

  I need your help getting these guys off the street. And then Greg hesitates, the officer pushes a bit harder, telling Greg, your life is at risk, like whoever did this knows you're a witness. You could be next. They also tell him that Lamar Johnson, this suspect, they're showing him a photo of like, hey, you know him? They tell him that he is involved in six other murders. Before Marcus.

• 13:16Garrett Moreland?

  So they're pretty sure it's him.

• 13:18Payton Moreland?

  Well, the thing is.

• 13:18Garrett Moreland?

  Or they're just saying this.

• 13:20Payton Moreland?

  None of that was true.

• 13:21Garrett Moreland?

  Okay, okay.

• 13:22Payton Moreland?

  Lamar had not been tied to any other murders. They were just trying to.

• 13:27Garrett Moreland?

  Get him to talk, Greg to talk.

• 13:28Payton Moreland?

  Yes, yes.

• 13:29Garrett Moreland?

  Okay.

• 13:29Payton Moreland?

  But they needed Greg to sign the back of Lamar's photo to make the ID official as one of the men he saw. And Greg still refuses. He's like, listen, I am not confident enough that that is one of the guys who was there.

• 13:43Garrett Moreland?

  Good for Greg because most people would have done it.

• 13:45Payton Moreland?

  Especially if you've been there for hours, you could be easily a suspect, like if not Lamar, then you. So the only thing Greg would say was that the eyes of the men who shot Marcus looked slightly similar to Lamar's. Maybe a lazy eye, but there's no guarantee.

• 14:03Garrett Moreland?

  Dang. If I ever commit a crime, they're going to describe me. As having a lazy eye. That sucks.

• 14:10Payton Moreland?

  In the sketch?

• 14:11Garrett Moreland?

  In the sketch, yeah.

• 14:13Payton Moreland?

  Yeah, but also they're gonna say he has a luscious lion.

• 14:17Garrett Moreland?

  Thank you. Thank you, babe. Thank you.

• 14:19Payton Moreland?

  So apparently that was enough for the police to make their move on Lamar Johnson. Anyway, signature on the photo or not, because that same day, November 3rd, police pulled Lamar Johnson over. He was in the car with his friend, Philip Campbell, and both were brought to the station for questioning. Now imagine being this friend who's just randomly in the car when he gets pulled over. And now you are basically the second suspect. I want to talk about Lamar for a second. I just want to give you a bit of his backstory because it's not unlike Marcus's. Lamar was just a 20 year old.

• 14:58Garrett Moreland?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 14:59Payton Moreland?

  Father of two young girls as well, who was still dating his high school girlfriend, Erica Barrow. And for growing up in the South Side neighborhood of St. Louis, a place that had really high crime and homicide rates, Lamar kind of stayed out of trouble for most of his life. The only things on his record by 1994 were a possession charge for cocaine and tampering with a license plate. So this year he is working at Jiffy Lube and like Marcus, it just wasn't enough to make ends meet for his girlfriend, his two kids. So he started selling drugs on the side as well. And Lamar knew this was just a means to an end.

• 15:41Payton Moreland?

  According to him, it was a temporary fix until he could find a better way to make more money. Because at the same time as all of this, he was also going to a community college to get a degree.

• 15:53Garrett Moreland?

  This is interesting. I think I might know where this is going, but I'm not sure yet. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. There are plenty of reasons we put off getting support and for a lot of people, cost is one of them. With BetterHelp, insurance options may now be available nationwide with an average copay for eligible members of just $23 per session.

• 16:17Garrett Moreland?

  And while we're reconsidering old assumptions, maybe there are a few others worth questioning too.

• 16:22Payton Moreland?

  Women inherit a lot of unwritten rules. Be ambitious, but not intimidating. Be there for everyone, but still make time for yourself. Have it all together, but don't look like you're trying too hard. And I have definitely fallen into all of these traps. But if you have been wanting to start therapy, BetterHelp works with more than 125 health plan networks and eligible members have an average copay of just $23 per session with insurance. If you don't have insurance or don't live in the United States, you can still get 10% off your first month.

• 16:54Garrett Moreland?

  And Peyton and I are big advocates for therapy. Give it a try. Life can be crazy. There's a lot going on. Like we were talking about, sometimes it feels like you need to have everything figured out. You don't. Go talk to someone. Go see what's going on. Visit betterhelp.com/husband to explore your payment options. That's betterhelp, H E L P dot com slash husband.

• 17:16Payton Moreland?

  All right, guys, we are getting into a sponsor and it is one of my favorites, Quince. You know those pieces in your closet that you find yourself reaching for over and over again? The sweater that just somehow works with everything, the jeans you know are always going to fit, that bag you carry everywhere? Well, that is Quince in my closet. Okay. All of my Quince products have become my staples, which is why I highly, highly recommend going to Quince's website, checking everything out. It is the quality. It is the quality that sets them apart. I mean, you have the price that they've been able to cut out the middlemen

• 17:54Payton Moreland?

  and work directly with factories, so it is cheaper. But the quality of Quince items, I have had them for years. And again, I continue to reach for them time and time again. I'm talking loungewear, silk skirts, cashmere sweaters. And not to mention, they sell baby stuff, okay? Find the fall pieces you'll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app exclusive offers or go to quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Available in Canada and the UK too. And guys, at the very end, when Quince asks you where you heard about them, please, please, please just let them know Murder With My Husband. It is the best way to support the show.

• 18:36Payton Moreland?

  It lets them know that you heard about it here and it would mean a ton. Again, if you've never shopped on Quince, go take a look and then let them know Murder With My Husband sent you. So he really was working towards a better future and he knew that selling drugs was a dangerous and poor choice, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Still, when Lamar was picked up by the police on November 3rd and brought in for questioning, he honestly didn't seem too worried. He knew his hands were clean, so much so that he didn't even ask for a lawyer. He told his girlfriend Erica that he didn't want to pay for a lawyer or ask his parents for help because he had nothing to hide. Instead, Lamar was as cooperative as possible with the police.

• 19:21Payton Moreland?

  He answered any and all questions they had. He told them that despite what Leslie believed, he and Marcus had never been in a fight, that the two were close friends. He loved him like a brother and he was devastated when he had heard the news about Marcus's death a few nights back. And he honestly still was. He said he had no reason to hurt Marcus, no motive whatsoever, even more convincing. Lamar had an alibi. He was at home during the time of Marcus's shooting with his girlfriend Erica. And the only time he went outside that night was for a few minutes when he went to a street corner a few blocks away to sell drugs. He was gone for a total of five minutes, not enough time to get to Marcus's home

• 20:05Payton Moreland?

  miles away, shoot him and make it back. Not to mention, he came in without a drop of blood on him. Erica also confirmed this statement saying she was inside changing their five-month-old daughter's diaper. And she said, quote, "By the time I'd finished changing her diaper and cleaning everything up, he was walking back up the steps." But when I say she confirmed that statement, I don't mean to the police. The police never asked Erica, never questioned her about her boyfriend's alibi.

• 20:42Garrett Moreland?

  This is gonna be wild if he goes to prison.

• 20:45Payton Moreland?

  This is what she tells reporters.

• 20:47Garrett Moreland?

  This is gonna be wild.

• 20:48Payton Moreland?

  Instead, they put Lamar and Phillip, the friend who happened to be in the car.

• 20:54Garrett Moreland?

  In prison.

• 20:54Payton Moreland?

  When he got pulled over into a photo lineup.

• 20:58Garrett Moreland?

  Okay.

• 20:58Payton Moreland?

  Which Lamar does willingly. And then they bring Greg Elking, the man who was there that night, back in to take a look at that lineup. And again, Greg couldn't pick anyone out.

• 21:11Garrett Moreland?

  Dude, what is wrong with these detectives? This is crazy.

• 21:14Payton Moreland?

  But Greg said he felt like he was gonna get in trouble with the police if he didn't comply. So eventually, he said to the detective, you tell me what the numbers are and I'll tell you if they're correct. And so detectives are like, uh, guy number three and four. And Greg's like, yep, okay, you're right. Those are the suspects.

• 21:34Garrett Moreland?

  Oh my gosh.

• 21:37Payton Moreland?

  Greg said he went with it because he trusted the police wouldn't lead him astray, that they must have a pretty good reason for bringing these guys in. And he didn't want to take the fall for it, so he finally agreed to sign off on it. And with that, Lamar Johnson and Phillip Campbell were charged with first degree murder. I think it's pretty safe to say we have minorities, drug dealers, and murder. And the police quickly ran with it. They were like, yep, these are our guys without any evidence. I mean, outside of Greg's ID, which he didn't even make, by the way, he just told police yes to the numbers that they told him.

• 22:20Payton Moreland?

  There's really no evidence for the prosecution to present in court. They need to bolster their case if they want to get a conviction. And they seem to find an opportunity in a jailhouse informant named William Mock, which is like, we just have the most stereotypical wrongful conviction on our hands.

• 22:40Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 22:41Payton Moreland?

  No evidence, no good detective work, and now a jailhouse informant being the number one piece of evidence.

• 22:47Garrett Moreland?

  This is crazy. This is wild. It's so interesting because I am pretty probably pro when it comes to the death penalty or being harsh with, with.

• 22:58Garrett Moreland?

  Convictions and penalties, but I'm also so against and just not okay with how the justice system does when it comes to wrongful convictions because I will dare say, and there's, there's times where it's not, but I would dare say that majority of the times it's so obvious that this is a wrongful conviction. And maybe not, maybe it's because you're telling me this case afterwards, but I still feel like if I was a jury right now, I'd be like, hmm, I don't know about this.

• 23:28Payton Moreland?

  I mean, I think it's safe to say that in the nineties, which this was way back in the nineties, being black, dealing drugs and being somewhat tied to a victim.

• 23:41Garrett Moreland?

  Illegal activities or whatever.

• 23:42Payton Moreland?

  This happened so much, like police closing cases using this specific type. And it's just like, now, looking back, we're like, okay, jailhouse, like, we see all the signs, but it's like, back then, were people also seeing the signs? Like, why was this happening so often? Obviously, they were convincing the juries by lying to them. It's just, ugh. So, this jailhouse informant, William, William was in a holding cell, two cells down from Lamar Johnson and Philip Campbell while they were in custody. And he claimed that he overheard the two of them having a conversation about the crime they committed.

• 24:23Garrett Moreland?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 24:24Payton Moreland?

  Them saying something like, quote, "We should have shot that white boy." Supposedly, they're referring to Greg, which, might I add, I feel like Greg should have been a stronger suspect in this, but we kind of know the reason why maybe he wasn't immediately looked at in the nineties and they just believed him at his word that this is what happened. But there's a lot of problems with William's statement, outside of the fact that he was two cells away and likely couldn't hear a thing Lamar and Philip were saying. Thirty-four year old William had made plenty of racist remarks against black people. He had a swastika tattoo, plus, an ex-girlfriend of his claimed he was part of-

• 25:07Payton Moreland?

  Part of a white supremacist gang, basically. So at the time, William was being held for breaking into a church van and violating his parole for another crime. And in the past, he had been asked to snitch to get his charges reduced from prison time to parole. So he knew exactly what he was doing when he went to his jailers and said, hey, I heard these two talking. I want to strike another deal. And this time he claimed he had information about Lamar and Phillip. And that's when William told the police he overheard them coming up with an alibi with another person in the jail named Lamont.

• 25:47Payton Moreland?

  Now, a day later, he told police he heard them saying something like, be sure to tell my mother to tell the police that I was with them when this went down.

• 25:54Garrett Moreland?

  Huh, this is really interesting. Okay.

• 25:56Payton Moreland?

  So there, William is basically saying, hey, they were trying to come up with an alibi. But there was a huge problem even outside of William's horrible reputation. This Lamont person does not exist. After reading the jail logs, people couldn't find a single person who went by that name or even nickname. And yet, they cut William a deal if he agreed to testify against Lamar and Phillip in court. They promised to write him a letter to the parole board on his behalf.

• 26:24Garrett Moreland?

  Which is interesting because jail informants and informants in general are, as far as I'm aware, like they're just not very trustworthy these days. Like they don't really, pulling them up in front of someone to testify is crazy. That's so crazy.

• 26:38Payton Moreland?

  I'm actually, you just read my next part, so I'm just going to add in some actual statistics and data behind what you just said. Jailhouse informants, it's a pretty big issue on how they are used, like Eric just said. We know snitching can often provide a lot of perks for someone on the wrong side of the law. I found one stat, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, between 1989 and 2024, there have been

• 27:06Payton Moreland?

  241 wrongful convictions related to jailhouse informant's false testimony.

• 27:14Garrett Moreland?

  That's insane. That's insane.

• 27:16Payton Moreland?

  So again, I mean, this is 1989 to 2024, but 241 wrongful convictions relied on jailhouse informants. This was obviously a common practice and an inappropriate one. That's 241 victims. 241 people who were put in jail due to the testimony of convicted felons. I mean, it's obviously, just let that sink in. But Lamar Johnson was a hopeful guy. He knew he was innocent. So when his trial rolled around in July of 1995, he's like, the jury's got to see this too, right? Like they have nothing on us. Especially because one of the key witnesses against him was a man he had never even met before, William. William told the jury during

• 27:59Payton Moreland?

  the trial, he heard Lamar talking to a Lamont about the crimes. Again, Lamont does not exist. William also said that they talked about another murder on the South Side of St. Louis. But when police had actually compared the statement to other cases, they couldn't find a single case that matched what William was saying they were describing. So all to say, the only thing William is, was he happened to be next to these guys.

• 28:28Garrett Moreland?

  He's a liar.

• 28:29Payton Moreland?

  Everything he's saying does not match up. So not only is he a jailhouse informant, everything he's saying has no evidence behind it, didn't stop the prosecution from putting him up. And I also want to say, the jury didn't get to hear a lot about this or William's criminal background or his history of racist and violent offenses. The fact that officials were submitting a letter to the parole board on his behalf for testifying, they get to hear none of this.

• 28:59Garrett Moreland?

  This is crazy.

• 28:59Payton Moreland?

  The jury has no idea about any of that at trial. At least William wasn't the only one to take the stand in Lamar's trial. Lamar's girlfriend Erica also spoke about how Lamar was home with her that night. And it, yes, he did leave, but it wasn't nearly enough time. For him to have made the drive to Marcus's and to kill him and get back. A detective, however, got on the stand to dispute those claims, saying the whole thing could have been done in a matter of minutes. Though he never once actually went out and timed himself making the drive to see, even see if it's possible. She doesn't even have evidence backing the statement. He's just getting up there saying.

• 29:34Garrett Moreland?

  I also don't know who I'm more disappoint. I mean, I'm disappointed with everyone right now, but if the jury seriously finds him guilty. What a horrible jury too.

• 29:44Payton Moreland?

  I mean, they don't know about Williams, but they do, they can clearly see right now that like. The detective is saying this and I don't know if the defense just wasn't saying you have no evidence, prove it. I don't know if he had. Just a crappy defense team as well.

• 30:00Garrett Moreland?

  Or the jury was also just stupid and just like wasn't thinking out of the box.

• 30:05Payton Moreland?

  But back then, were we as skeptical about what we were hearing?

• 30:08Garrett Moreland?

  I mean, no, but.

• 30:09Payton Moreland?

  You're trusting the courts. You're trusting the cops.

• 30:11Garrett Moreland?

  Send me the names. Who was in the jury?

• 30:14Payton Moreland?

  So after two hours of deliberating, the two hours, by the way, for first degree murder. Oh, I also do want to say that Greg Elking also took the stand. And he stuck with this story. He gave investigators, he saw Lamar and Philip in the lineup and said those were the guys. So he does get on stand and ID them. Greg does.

• 30:38Garrett Moreland?

  Hmm. Okay.

• 30:38Payton Moreland?

  Which that is pretty.

• 30:40Garrett Moreland?

  That's interesting.

• 30:41Payton Moreland?

  I mean, for a witness to say that he got up there and picked out two guys when that's not really what happened, but that's what he said. Two hours after deliberating, the jury sides with the prosecution. They found Lamar Johnson guilty of first degree murder. He was told to return in a few months for his sentencing. But before that day could come, Lamar Johnson received a letter. It was written by his friend. The guy that he was arrested and charged with, Philip. Now, in this handwritten note, Philip said, hey. I know that you didn't do this. And I feel bad, and this is why I'm writing you a letter. I know you didn't do it because I was actually there.

• 31:22Payton Moreland?

  The guy, yes, who was also charged, who just happened to be in the car.

• 31:27Garrett Moreland?

  Got it, yes.

• 31:27Payton Moreland?

  Now, remember, this is a circle of guys who all run around together, so it's not that shocking that maybe Phillip knew Marcus and could have been there. But the fact that he's writing a letter being like, I actually know you're innocent because I was actually there, like, I'm actually involved. He said, it was me and another guy named James B. A. Howard.

• 31:50Garrett Moreland?

  Why would he say that? Why would he write that letter?

• 31:53Payton Moreland?

  Because he felt bad.

• 31:54Garrett Moreland?

  Okay, I mean.

• 31:55Payton Moreland?

  He felt bad. He was like.

• 31:57Garrett Moreland?

  It just surprises me.

• 31:58Payton Moreland?

  Lamar, I'm actually guilty of being here and doing this with another man named James. Phillip said Marcus owed James money, and what I read, it was less than forty dollars, so they were there to try and get the forty dollars. But then, when Marcus started fighting back and it turned into like a violent struggle, apparently James panicked and shot Marcus. But Phillip's lawyer wouldn't let him come forward with the information before Lamar's trial. Because he was like, Phillip, you can probably still beat the charges if the prosecution paints this on Lamar. And he gets convicted, so don't come forward because Lamar getting convicted can mean that you don't.

• 32:40Payton Moreland?

  Even though you're willingly saying to me and to people around you, not the cops, that you did this.

• 32:47Garrett Moreland?

  Another problem I have with attorneys, man.

• 32:51Payton Moreland?

  Right? They're like not basing it off the truth, they're basing off of getting their client off.

• 32:55Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, criminal defense attorneys, and I know we have some listening, but, like, I would dare say this, and if you're offended by this, write me a DM. Happen to, I'm happy to talk to you. I would dare say criminal defense attorneys have some of the worst morals. That's my hot take. I'm sorry, that's my hot take.

• 33:15Payton Moreland?

  I think it takes a certain type of person to be able to do that job. Because. There are defense attorneys, I will state this with my whole chest. There are defense attorneys who 100% know their client is guilty.

• 33:31Garrett Moreland?

  100%.

• 33:31Payton Moreland?

  And they don't recuse themselves and say, I can't represent him because I know he's guilty.

• 33:35Garrett Moreland?

  All.

• 33:36Payton Moreland?

  Which they are supposed to do.

• 33:37Garrett Moreland?

  It happens all the time. It's not a secret. It happens all the time.

• 33:41Payton Moreland?

  It's more a little game to them of trying to get people off.

• 33:44Garrett Moreland?

  Correct.

• 33:44Payton Moreland?

  That's their job. And so they, you know, bend the rules and justify it and get people off. I don't know. I mean, Philip obviously is feeling guilt because he wrote a letter to Lamar in prison saying, I know you're innocent.

• 33:59Garrett Moreland?

  Yes.

• 33:59Payton Moreland?

  I think Philip should have done the right thing, but also how do you look at someone and say, you actually should have gone to prison? Or like came forward and said, you did it just so Lamar didn't, even though your lawyer at the time and your attorney is advising you against that.

• 34:13Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, it's so.

• 34:14Payton Moreland?

  It's just hard.

• 34:15Garrett Moreland?

  Also, I gotta add to this. I know there's also criminal defense attorneys that defend people who aren't guilty.

• 34:21Payton Moreland?

  We've had cases where they recuse themselves.

• 34:23Garrett Moreland?

  I don't know if I necessarily mean all criminal defense attorneys. I just mean the ones that.

• 34:28Payton Moreland?

  This attorney?

• 34:29Garrett Moreland?

  There's some bad apples out there. I'll just say that.

• 34:31Payton Moreland?

  Isn't there any?

• 34:32Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, I get it.

• 34:33Payton Moreland?

  But I do understand what you're saying where.

• 34:35Garrett Moreland?

  It's just frustrating.

• 34:36Payton Moreland?

  When someone's so obviously guilty and they, yeah. I used to think a camera or video doorbell was home security. And then I realized those can only record a break in. They literally can't stop one. And that is the difference with Simply Safe. When an intruder steps onto your property, Simply Safe's AI-powered cameras detect the threat and alert a live US-based agent who can then intervene to stop them before they even get into your door. Because it's not my house or valuables that I'm even worried about. It's a stranger getting anywhere close to the people I love. And I'm obviously taking this way more seriously now, which I already did, but now more than ever with a baby on the way.

• 35:19Payton Moreland?

  Like I said, unlike traditional security cameras, they only alert you after a break in. Simply Safe is built to stop it before it starts. And they have so many different options if you have. Got on and checked it out. Just do it, guys. If you've been waiting for a sign to get some security, this is it. Join the more than 6 million people who entrust Simply Safe with their home security. Right now, save 60% off with professional monitoring when you visit simplysafe.com/husband. That is an amazing code, guys. 60% off. That is simplysafe.com/husband. And when you order, again, just please let them know Murder With My Husband sent you. Write

• 36:00Payton Moreland?

  it in at the checkout survey. It just lets them know we sent you and it helps support the show. Simply Safe, ahead of crime and in real time. Guys, I'm not sure if I have talked about this, but I have been put on an extremely restrictive diet while being pregnant. And you know what has helped me so much? Hungry Root. I know, I know. You knew that was coming. It is so nice to be able to still shop, but get on and put in my preferences, put exactly what I'm looking for, pick out recipes that fit my dietary restrictions. I love Hungry Root. We've actually been using them since like, I think 2022 was when I first started using them. That was before

• 36:44Payton Moreland?

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• 37:27Payton Moreland?

  hungryroot.com/husband code HUSBAND to get 40% off your first box and a free item of your choice for life. So this is huge because Lamar now has in writing a confession from someone else who was there and a part of it now clearing his name. So Lamar writes the judge and says, hey, I actually just had the real people come forward. Please, can I get a new hearing? And his request was denied.

• 37:57Garrett Moreland?

  Really?

• 37:58Payton Moreland?

  In September of 1995, Lamar-

• 37:59Garrett Moreland?

  With the information too.

• 38:01Payton Moreland?

  Returned to the courtroom for his sentencing. He was given life in prison without the possibility of parole.

• 38:05Garrett Moreland?

  What a freak.

• 38:07Payton Moreland?

  He is in his twenties with a young kid.

• 38:09Garrett Moreland?

  That is insane.

• 38:12Payton Moreland?

  As for Phillip, he actually pleads guilty and receives a shorter sentence of seven years behind bars. So it does, it does work out for him. Lamar takes the fall. He gets a shorter sentence.

• 38:26Garrett Moreland?

  Okay.

• 38:26Payton Moreland?

  And my feeling on this is that they actually had probably more evidence on Phillip, which is why they even added him in, even though he was the random guy who was pulled over. They probably actually had ties to this thing. And so it was easier to charge him, but they still, they pulled over Lamar, not Phillip. So they were gonna pin it on him because how then do you turn around and be like, actually, we're wrong?

• 38:53Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 38:54Payton Moreland?

  I mean, you do because you're a good person, but when you have ego in the way, happens all the time. So he pleads guilty and then James Howard, who was 17, he was a minor when he killed Marcus. He was never charged with it, even though it was like common knowledge that he had been pointed to as the guy who did this. I will say he's convicted three years later of another murder and sentenced to life in prison for that.

• 39:22Garrett Moreland?

  This is ridiculous. This is, okay.

• 39:25Payton Moreland?

  Okay. So eventually time goes on and Phillip, who's gonna serve his seven years and get out, and then James, who's already in prison, life in prison, decide to sign sworn affidavits confessing to killing Marcus to try and get Lamar out of prison.

• 39:45Payton Moreland?

  So these guys are feeling guilty. They're like, we're gonna actually sign sworn statements for Lamar in his defense, in his appeals to try to get him out. And it doesn't change a thing for Lamar.

• 39:58Garrett Moreland?

  I don't understand. I do not understand.

• 40:00Payton Moreland?

  He says goodbye to his two young daughters. And that also meant saying goodbye to Erica, the mother of his children. But it was because of his family Lamar didn't give up. He knew the truth. It was written in black and white. He felt one day, one day, someone will see this. So behind bars Lamar begins studying the law. He sifted through police reports, trial transcripts, and he began searching for more evidence to prove his innocence, which you 100% have the right to do. Any convict is able to request their records, their trial, everything and bill for their petitions or appeals. In 1996, two years later, he filed for a new trial. His petition is denied.

• 40:44Payton Moreland?

  In 1998, he met another inmate in a similar situation. The person was working with the Midwest Innocence Project to get their case a second look. And in the early 2000s, this inmate introduced Lamar to his contacts at the Innocence Project. They began looking into Lamar's case and they're like, uh, what? They also realized that Greg Elking, the guy who was the witness who said this whole story, was now in prison for a bank robbery and

• 41:17Payton Moreland?

  and had openly admitted to many people that he had lied at Lamar's trial. So he's telling people the real story. I actually was not confident, but I got up there and lied. He said, I was pressured into naming Lamar in that photo lineup at law enforcement.

• 41:33Garrett Moreland?

  This is black and white at this point.

• 41:35Payton Moreland?

  And then he comes out with new information later on in 2003.

• 41:38Garrett Moreland?

  Crazy.

• 41:39Payton Moreland?

  When the Innocence Project is looking into Lamar's case, they discovered that Greg Elking has told people law enforcement paid off his debts.

• 41:47Garrett Moreland?

  Oh my gosh.

• 41:49Payton Moreland?

  They cleared the traffic warrants in his name and they put him in witness protection program. And he was given $4,000 after the trial.

• 41:59Garrett Moreland?

  And then he robbed the bank.

• 42:00Payton Moreland?

  All of this was documented in a letter Greg had sent to his pastor out of guilt. Now, of course, none of this is mentioned during Lamar's trial, but when the Innocence Project dug into it, they found it was true. This alone should have been enough to get Lamar a new trial. So in 2018, this is so many years later.

• 42:20Garrett Moreland?

  I'm so frustrated. That's horrible.

• 42:24Payton Moreland?

  And it's like, so, I mean, and the Innocence Project does this time and time again, turning up wrongful convictions. The Innocence Project teams up with a St. Louis Circuit Attorney named Kimberly Gardner. She just created a new division called the Conviction Integrity Unit, who their whole job was to look at cases exactly like this, which is kind of cool, right? I mean, it's a, it's a circuit attorney who's like, no, there has been wrongful convictions in the past. Obviously, this is an issue. This is an epidemic. She creates this division and Lamar was the perfect candidate. So the Innocence Project is like, hey, please look at this case.

• 43:04Payton Moreland?

  So with the help of the Innocence Project, Gardner began reinvestigating a lot of the claims that were made during Lamar's trial, including the distance and timing from his house to Marcus's. When they made the drive, they found it was 13 minutes one way, the quickest route possible. Double that, plus add some time to park, run up, get in a scuffle and murder someone. That's a half hour.

• 43:28Garrett Moreland?

  And she said it took her five minutes to change a diaper.

• 43:31Payton Moreland?

  Yeah, he left and came back in the time she was changing a diaper.

• 43:34Garrett Moreland?

  Dude, honestly, here's what needs to happen. The corrupt detectives who did this need to go to jail for the rest, for however long Lamar served.

• 43:46Payton Moreland?

  And you know?

• 43:47Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, that's the only way to fix this.

• 43:49Payton Moreland?

  I am passionate about this and Garrett knows this, but there was a case in my hometown.

• 43:54Garrett Moreland?

  Yes.

• 43:54Payton Moreland?

  Very identical to this. A young person was put in prison for life for a crime he didn't commit. It was very shady police work. It was very intense interrogation. There was no evidence. And then years later, the Innocence Project gets involved, comes out that there is evidence, physical DNA evidence that didn't match him. They knew this from the beginning. They knew it didn't match him, but they said he had an accomplice. It matches the creepy guy next door. So he gets out. They arrest the creepy guy next door, but this is. 20 something years after he spent in prison and the cops who arrested him come forward and say, we're actually not going to say sorry because we still stand 10 toes down that the

• 44:39Payton Moreland?

  guy next door was the unknown accomplice that we were thinking of.

• 44:44Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah. And sorry, we're kind of rambling. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not even biased as well. Like, I'm pretty like detectives have a hard job. Like, stuff's crazy, but like, I just said earlier, there's good people and there's bad people and there's some bad apples and these were some bad apples.

• 44:58Payton Moreland?

  Well, and like you're messing with someone's life.

• 45:00Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, it's not, it's not, not games. This isn't a game.

• 45:03Payton Moreland?

  It's just.

• 45:05Garrett Moreland?

  Crazy.

• 45:06Payton Moreland?

  So this is what the Innocence comes up with, the Innocence Project. They have the evidence that the timeline doesn't add up to Erica's testimony. They have a signed statement from Greg Elking recanting his testimony, saying this is everything that was happened. It was completely bogus. They have a sworn confession from the two guys who actually commit the murder, saying, hey, we did this, he didn't. By this point, Philip Campbell has passed away, I just want to say, but they do have a signed statement from him beforehand, because this was years earlier, saying that he didn't do, that Lamar didn't do this. It's a solid case. Gardner took it to the Missouri Supreme Court in March of 2021, and they deny the request for

• 45:47Payton Moreland?

  a new trial. Basically, the Attorney General's Office said she, quote, "lacked the authority to seek a new trial so many years after the case was adjudicated." But this is just so common because there is a reason why cases aren't overturned, even when there's so much evidence, and it's because it opens up a can of worms for the state with other cases being looked at.

• 46:12Garrett Moreland?

  And they also, the state also knows they're about ready to lose millions and millions of dollars, as they should.

• 46:18Payton Moreland?

  And support from the people around them, because why the heck are you putting innocent people in prison? So there's a reason they are so hesitant to do it. I'm not justifying it or saying it's.

• 46:28Garrett Moreland?

  But that's why.

• 46:28Payton Moreland?

  But that is why. So that same year, the state of Missouri passed a new law. It allowed prosecutors to petition the court if they themselves wanted to exonerate a prisoner that they felt was wrongly convicted. So a prosecutor's office, not the state, but a prosecutor come forward and say, I'm petitioning this.

• 46:47Garrett Moreland?

  I like that. That's a good, I like that.

• 46:49Payton Moreland?

  In the, the law, it doesn't matter how long ago. If this person has spent 70 years in prison. They could still petition to get someone out. The timing was extremely helpful and I'm not sure if Gardner had anything to do with this new law passing, but either way, it's a game changer for Lamar Johnson. The following year in 2022, Lamar was finally granted a retrial, a retrial. In the meantime, Gardner and her team keep piecing together their new case, which meant disputing a lot of the issues with the first trial, including William Mock, the jailhouse informant. Not only did Gardner realize how little the jury was actually told about William, including his criminal background and the fact that he had been a jailhouse informant before, like he had a history of doing this.

• 47:34Payton Moreland?

  She found he was getting preferential treatment behind bars before and after testifying. William was given coffee and cigarettes from prosecutors. They would literally visit him after he testified and give him these things. He was moved to a better prison. However, William wasn't able to be called again to the stand because he died back in 2003 at the age of 43 after driving a stolen SUV off a boat ramp and into a Missouri lake.

• 47:59Garrett Moreland?

  This is your star witness, by the way.

• 48:01Payton Moreland?

  But now it's not great because he can't come forward and say I lied. So after 27 years behind bars, Lamar Johnson is back in court in December 12th, 2022. His grown daughters are there every single day.

• 48:14Garrett Moreland?

  That breaks, that breaks my heart.

• 48:15Payton Moreland?

  He missed their entire life and they knew from, because their mom knew. Their mom knew he was innocent, that he was her alibi or she was his alibi. So basically the judge has three options. Overturn the conviction and grant a new trial. Overturn the conviction and just get rid of a new trial and declare Lamar innocent or uphold the original verdict. This is what this new trial that he is granted is, this is the purpose of it, basically. So the court hears multiple players in the case. Everything I've told you basically is presented at court, including bringing in witnesses. Like Greg gets up there and says, yeah, I lied.

• 48:52Garrett Moreland?

  Okay.

• 48:53Payton Moreland?

  And they let Lamar speak. He takes the stand and speaks and says, I just wanted to be cooperative with police. Like I should have got a lawyer. I didn't know.

• 49:02Garrett Moreland?

  Poor guy.

• 49:04Payton Moreland?

  It takes two months. Like the judge wraps up and says, come back in two months for my verdict. Which is just like, yes, it's been 20 something years, but like two more months holding someone who's innocent. It's just so crappy. It's rude.

• 49:21Payton Moreland?

  February, fifty year old Lamar returns to the court. The judge gave him the news he'd been waiting to hear. He wasn't granted a retrial, his conviction was overturned.

• 49:32Garrett Moreland?

  Good.

• 49:32Payton Moreland?

  Lamar Johnson was now a free man. And for the first time in his life.

• 49:36Garrett Moreland?

  You just, you just go out of jail that day?

• 49:38Payton Moreland?

  Yep.

• 49:38Garrett Moreland?

  Like you're just like boom, gone.

• 49:39Payton Moreland?

  Immediately they release you.

• 49:40Garrett Moreland?

  Crazy.

• 49:42Payton Moreland?

  And it's so crazy to me when they do this because the judge literally apologizes. Like, the judge apologizes on behalf of the state. It's like in his.

• 49:51Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 49:51Payton Moreland?

  The way they word it is an apology.

• 49:53Garrett Moreland?

  I mean, I, so let's, did he sue? Like, how much money did he get?

• 49:57Payton Moreland?

  So Lamar.

• 49:59Garrett Moreland?

  That's, that's just horrible. That's horrible.

• 50:02Payton Moreland?

  He, um, he doesn't really know his daughters, but he's getting to spend time with his daughters. He was actually released just in time for his twenty eight year old daughter, Kira's wedding.

• 50:13Garrett Moreland?

  Oh, that's.

• 50:14Payton Moreland?

  So he got to walk her down the aisle. Um, there was so much that Lamar had missed. He said in an interview how excited he was just to touch a tree, to go outside for a run, to get a meal. It was the simple pleasures in life that he was looking forward to getting back. Of course, there were some unexpected hurdles. Technology, Lamar had never even used an iPhone or an Apple Watch. It was all brand new to him. But maybe the biggest issue was all the lost time Lamar wasn't gonna get back. After decades behind bars, this is according to him. He's like, I'm expected to just go out and rebuild my life, get a job, do this, do that.

• 50:51Garrett Moreland?

  He gets a bunch of money and he gets to do whatever he wants for the rest of his life.

• 50:55Payton Moreland?

  Okay. So some states, and you're gonna be shocked. They offer compensation for people whose convictions are vacated.

• 51:03Garrett Moreland?

  And the compensation is always trash. It's always like ten grand a year or something, just trash that they deserve way more for spending in prison.

• 51:13Payton Moreland?

  Missouri law states they offer zero compensation for people.

• 51:17Garrett Moreland?

  Okay, but, which, that's, I mean.

• 51:19Payton Moreland?

  It's common.

• 51:20Garrett Moreland?

  It's common, so then he sues.

• 51:21Payton Moreland?

  There's a loophole, right?

• 51:22Garrett Moreland?

  Yep.

• 51:23Payton Moreland?

  They have to pay someone if they were exonerated with DNA, proving their innocence.

• 51:28Garrett Moreland?

  Okay.

• 51:29Payton Moreland?

  So because there was DNA, Lamar is left with no immediate financial assistance, housing assistance, money.

• 51:38Garrett Moreland?

  Someone has to take his case, like.

• 51:41Payton Moreland?

  Yes.

• 51:41Garrett Moreland?

  What's it called?

• 51:42Payton Moreland?

  Well, you have to like go all the way up.

• 51:44Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, but someone takes your case like um.

• 51:46Payton Moreland?

  Pro bono.

• 51:47Garrett Moreland?

  Thank you.

• 51:48Payton Moreland?

  But and then that's just hoping the lawsuit even turns out. Some of the times they don't win.

• 51:52Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, for sure. But a lot of the times I feel like they do if it's obvious like this.

• 51:56Payton Moreland?

  Well, and also you're suing, but there's a law in place saying they don't owe you compensation.

• 52:00Garrett Moreland?

  And it also just takes a long time. It's just horrible.

• 52:02Payton Moreland?

  So he has no savings account, but luckily his family actually teamed up with the Midwest Innocence Project to launch a GoFundMe.

• 52:13Garrett Moreland?

  Oh, nice.

• 52:13Payton Moreland?

  Which does happen when you like they'll say, please donate to this person because when they get out of prison, they're gonna have to start life. And on July 4th of 2023, Lamar posted thanking everyone for the donations. He said he had since gotten the opportunity to fly an airplane, see the ocean, walk his daughter down the aisle. He also said he was dedicating his time and energy to helping correct more wrongful convictions by raising awareness and working to get his life back on track. In 2024, Lamar's lawyers also helped him file a lawsuit suing the city and the officers. Like Garrett said, he would, but I mean, those takes long. You need immediate money.

• 52:53Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 52:53Payton Moreland?

  So in a statement to the press, Lamar summed up his experience saying, quote, "I'm grateful to be free. I'm doing my best to make up for all of the time that was stolen from me and my family, especially my daughters. I want to put this dark and painful chapter behind me, but there can be no healing without answers and accountability. I deserved better and so did Marcus. I intend to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else." If you want to help more people like Lamar and help bring justice to those who are accountable for violent crimes like those against Marcus, you can visit theinnocenceproject.org/takeaction. I will note Garrett and I have donated in the past to the Innocence Project.

• 53:35Payton Moreland?

  I do think that they're a very great nonprofit organization. And I think the most devastating part about all of this, and this often happens in wrongful convictions, Marcus's true crime case was then taken over by a wrongful conviction case.

• 53:52Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 53:53Payton Moreland?

  And so it just takes true crime and makes it worse because you're now having multiple victims. Marcus's family now has this tied to the case of like this horrible thing happened and then someone went to prison for it that was innocent.

• 54:09Garrett Moreland?

  I was gonna say it kind of sad, really sad. It starts to overshadow Marcus's death as well because I mean, end of the day, someone died.

• 54:20Payton Moreland?

  He was murdered.

• 54:21Garrett Moreland?

  And they, that family also lost Marcus. So it's just like, like you said, so many people were affected.

• 54:28Payton Moreland?

  And it's just like, it's just devastating. It's devastating that this is even a reality. But that was the case of Marcus Boyd and the wrongful conviction of Lamar Johnson. And thank you so much for listening. Please think about both families as you go out, you know, go through the day today. And if you want to look into their cases more, there's links everywhere. Also can look into the Innocence Project, but we will see you next time with another one. I love it.

• 54:58Garrett Moreland?

  And I hate it.

• 54:59Payton Moreland?

  Goodbye.

• 55:07Speaker 04

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