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Melissa Lucio, who has long brown hair and is wearing a white prison uniform, sits behind glass at a prison.
Death Sentences February 24, 2022
How Melissa Lucio Went From Abuse Survivor to Death Row
Why some trauma victims are more likely to take responsibility for crimes, even when they may be innocent.
By Maurice Chammah
Feature January 18, 2022
Anatomy of a Murder Confession
Texas Ranger James Holland became famous for cajoling killers into confessing to their crimes. But did some of his methods — from lying to suspects to having witnesses hypnotized — ensnare innocent people, too?
By Maurice Chammah
Hundreds of students and community members came out for a vigil held for the Barnard College freshman Tessa Majors, who was stabbed to death in New York City's Morningside Park.
Analysis December 13, 2019
What Have We Learned Since the Central Park Jogger Case?
An eerily similar crime in New York this week will test public attitudes about juvenile justice.
By Eli Hager
Case in Point November 13, 2017
Confess, or “They’ll Fucking Give You the Needle.”
An idle threat, but the teenage suspect confessed.
By Andrew Cohen
Commentary June 12, 2016
For 50 Years, You’ve Had “The Right to Remain Silent”
So why do so many suspects confess to crimes they didn’t commit?
By Samuel Gross and Maurice Possley
Life Inside June 2, 2016
The Bogus Murder Confession That Changed How I Investigate Family Violence
A prosecutor on the case he’ll never forget.
By Staley Heatly
News September 4, 2015
A Phone Call From Jail? Better Watch What You Say
A confession, a threat—it’s probably taped. And admissible.
By Ken Armstrong
News June 8, 2015
The Possibly Coerced Confession at the Heart of the Bite Mark Case
Re-assessing a videotaped interrogation.
By Carl Stoffers
Davontae Sanford during a court appearance in Detroit in 2010.
News April 14, 2015
Two Confessions
One by a nervous kid. One by a self-styled hit man. A Detroit whodunnit.
By Andrew Cohen
Robert Durst, center, in a scene from the HBO series “The Jinx.”
News March 17, 2015
Five Lessons from “The Jinx”
What the HBO documentary series shows us about real-world law enforcement.
By Dana Goldstein and Eli Hager
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