NEW YORK, July 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nearly two years ago, Walter Goudy received $1.4 million from a federal lawsuit filed against the state of Indiana and the city of Anderson after he spent 16 years battling for his freedom due to being wrongfully convicted of murder. On this week’s episode of Wrongful Conviction, Jason Flom talks with Goudy and his attorney, Richard Dvorak, about his long road to justice.
Goudy’s story unfolded on October 3, 1993, when 21-year-old Marvin McCloud was shot and killed in his car by two gunmen as he was leaving an after-hours club in Anderson, Indiana. Five months after the incident, police received an anonymous tip implicating then-25-year-old Goudy as one of the shooters. A passenger in the car, Jill Barclay, identified Goudy as one of the gunmen after police placed him in a one-person lineup.
Initially, Goudy was charged with murder and attempted murder, but the charges were dropped after a list of 16 alibi witnesses were presented who placed Goudy over 40 miles away in Indianapolis at the time of the incident.
Later that year, Rodney Cummings, the lead detective on the case, became county prosecutor and re-charged Goudy with murder, attempted murder, attempted carjacking, and attempted robbery. Goudy was prosecuted regardless of the fact that his half-brother came forward and confessed to committing the crime with another accomplice. The jury found Goudy guilty of all charges on December 21, 1995, and he was sentenced to 110 years in prison.
After spending nearly 16 years of his life seeking justice while trapped behind bars, Goudy was released on bail on September 2, 2010. On January 13, 2012, the Madison County Prosecutor dismissed the charges.
This episode of Wrongful Conviction is sponsored by the Pacers Foundation, which is committed to improving the lives of Hoosiers across Indiana, supporting organizations dedicated primarily to helping young people and students. To listen to Wrongful Conviction, which is produced by Lava for Good, find it on all popular podcast streaming platforms. To learn more, visit www.lavaforgood.com.
About Wrongful Conviction
Hosted by Jason Flom, celebrated criminal justice reform advocate and founding board member of the Innocence Project, Wrongful Conviction features intimate conversations with men and women who have spent years in prison for crimes they maintain they did not commit. Some have been fully exonerated and reunited with family and friends, while others continue to languish — with some even facing execution on death row.
Each episode peels back the layers behind the stories of those who have found themselves caught in a legal system gone wrong, with illuminating insights from lawyers and leading experts sharing their in-depth knowledge about each case, from prison visits and courtroom battles to reexamined crime scenes and witness interviews. This gripping series reveals the tragedy of injustice…as well as the triumph that is possible when people step up and demand change.
