9 episodes
Letters from Sing Sing NBC News
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- True Crime
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5.0 • 411 Ratings
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In December of 2002, NBC News producer Dan Slepian got a letter from a New York state prison. It was from a man serving 25 years to life for murder. And it ended with a desperate plea: look into my case.
Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez had been convicted of killing a retired New York City police officer, but he insisted he didn’t do it. Dan was skeptical. Prosecutors said five eyewitnesses had sworn JJ was the killer. Could five people be wrong?
So Dan began to dig. What he discovered went far beyond just JJ’s case. And 20 years later, it’s still unfolding.
Letters from Sing Sing tells the story of a man convicted of murder, a journalist, and the letter that changed both of their lives. New episodes drop every Monday through March 27, 2023.
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JJ
Dan Slepian receives a letter from a man in prison. He’s been convicted of murder, but he insists he’s innocent. He even challenges Dan to prove him guilty.
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74 Minutes
Dan checks out JJ’s alibi and pours over the 2,000-page trial transcript. It’s clear to him the trial was strange and he’s left with more questions.
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Eyewitnesses
Police said five people identified JJ as the man who killed Al Ward. Dan sets out to find them.
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Peer Pressure
Dan talks to two jurors from JJ’s trial and tracks down the alleged accomplice. JJ’s story finally goes public.
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Integrity
The Manhattan DA’s office reinvestigates JJ’s case. A tip surfaces about Mustafa and Dan follows it to Seattle.
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Friendship
JJ turns 40. Jon gets in trouble. Dan receives a mysterious envelope with missing police reports.
Customer Reviews
Riveting
This story will capture your attention and your heart and you will question everything about how the justice system “works”. I found myself wondering how many more innocent people are spending years behind bars, and why a prosecutor’s office can stand behind what they must have known was a wrongful conviction. While the end isn’t the fairytale I hoped for, I was captured and held wrapt through the entire series.
Amazing
At the end my chest was tight and I was crying. An hour after finishing it and I am still moved. One of the best. Heartbreaking, maddening, uplifting. Many, many people should be ashamed for how this innocent man - and a thousand others - have their lives destroyed by a justice system that sometimes functions as it should but more often fails miserably.
❤️to all involved with making this nightmare end.
I have never “felt” a podcast more in my life.
One of the best podcasts I have ever listened. I was instantly hooked. JJ captivated me. His determination was inspiring. I have a lot of his quotes scribbled down on Post-it notes everywhere. The only way to predict the future is to create it… That quote will be with me for the rest of my life.