Tag: suicide epidemic

What homicide survivors need to know about defender innocence and wrongful convictions.

Women and girls tugged into the sex industry are the most frequently and easily killed people anywhere on the face of the earth. Why do they remain unseen by us even though we pass them daily? What people and companies profit from them? How do they become involved in this netherworld in the first place? What prevents their leaving? Why is grief absent for fellow sex workers who die in “the life”? Meet Sariah Hastings who survived 20 years in the sex industry, being sold dozens of times across 33 states, and had many brushes with death. She managed to rise above her circumstances, is now paying it forward, and offers some tips for health care providers and parents.

We’re taught the justice system gets it right and only the guilty are convicted – especially when a confession is given. But a closer inspection reveals the fallacy in this. Meet Jeff Deskovic who served 16 years for a murder he never committed and the tactics behind pinning the crime on him. Also learn about some parallels between convicting the innocent and surviving a homicide.

Acquiring PTSD from serving in a combat zone surprises no one. Master Sergeant Jayson Miller has seen more than his share of violent death and now carries the disruptive aftershocks within him. Please join us to discover how the domino effect of murder impacts our men and women in uniform, as we delve deeper into PTSD- and the inherent challenge this brings when reentering civilian life.

Detective John Toppenberg worked major crimes for many years in Colorado. The last eleven focused on homicide. How has his work impacted him? What are his views of the relatives of homicide victims? What does he have to say about district attorneys, the disappointing statistics on resolving cold cases, unsolved crimes and victim impact statements?

When Charlene Flynn was only 4 she tried to awaken her 12-year-old brother, Patrick. Much to her shock, she discovered he was deceased. Her mother was later convicted. Charlene’s life went into a tailspin. She was placed in different foster care homes, group homes, and psychiatric hospitals prior to living with relatives. But Charlene was determined to overcome her past and live up to her potential. Listen as this remarkable young woman (now a mother herself) explains how she did just that.