Deep Dive
Shownotes Transcript
Hi, park enthusiasts. It's Delia. You know I'm always ready to grab my gear and explore the details of a case, no matter how many twists and turns there may be along the way. And recently, I came across a story that I knew I had to investigate for myself, and it's all unfolding in the newest season of my other podcast, CounterClock. This season starts with the shocking murder of a man who was seen as a pillar of his community. But as investigators searched for answers, the focus quickly shifted to a group of teenage friends,
after one phone call changed everything. While this case is technically closed, I'm not convinced justice has truly been served. So I'm turning back the clock to uncover every tangled tale and to discover the truth buried within this case's many layers. Listen to the trailer for CounterClock Season 7 right here. Then head to the CounterClock feed to catch all four episodes that drop today. And don't forget to follow CounterClock wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss a single episode.
I need an ambulance quickly to 905 Moravia Street. On November 15, 2002, someone attacked 61-year-old Nathaniel Jones at his home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Taking only his wallet and leaving his body in this carport. The crime shocked the city. People knew who Nathaniel Jones was. He was the pillar of the community. He was one of the good guys.
The killing made headlines not only because of who Mr. Jones was. He was the grandfather of an up-and-coming athlete, basketball player by the name of Chris Paul. Before every game, he told me to go out and play my game. It's going to be hard after the game, walking back out and not seeing him there. The city as a whole realized, I guess you could say much more of an effort would be put into trying to solve that case.
Good leads came fast for investigators. Within days, a flurry of arrests. Five juveniles now face first-degree murder charges. Five teenage boys, five confessions, and one star witness. This is a recorded interview with Jessica Joanna Black. The case was open and shut, but that's far from the end of this story.
For the past 22 years, the young men convicted of this crime have denied it. We didn't do it. I didn't have nothing to do with Mrs. Jones-Merla. I never was involved. I never participated in it. What more you want me to keep telling you? I did do it. I did do it. I did do it. They knew they were going to charge somebody. And the somebody was those vulnerable five black people.
And now, the one person who helped put them away is saying the same thing. There was no proof. There was no evidence. It was nothing. It was me. I am the one that did that. I'm the one that caused them all that time. I had no idea the concept of a wrongful conviction. And then all of a sudden, boom. Coercion is so much more powerful and subtle than people realize.
But in a case where it's hard to find much, separating fact from fiction comes down to whose story you're willing to believe. Police brutality. It is real. Is she telling the truth now or was she telling the truth then? There was like eight different takes before you got the actual statement or confession.
There was DNA evidence, and that DNA evidence was identifiable. And none of that DNA could be connected to these defendants. That is very powerful evidence of innocence. Justice is blind, you know. In the court of law, sometimes money and people will outweigh the truth. If the kids who they got still hollering they didn't do it, then you still got a killer out here.
The first four episodes of Counter Clock Season 7 release on November 15th, with more dropping every Friday after that. If you want to listen to all the episodes as a binge on November 18th, be sure to join the Crime Junkie fan club at either the $10 or $20 tiers, or download the SiriusXM app in the Apple App Store or Google Play.