Ep 8. Family Lies

In season 3, episode 8 of Death Row Stories, titled "Family Lies," viewers are taken on a heart-wrenching journey through the case of a man who was convicted and sentenced to death for a crime he may not have committed.

The episode focuses on the story of a man named Keith Tharpe, who was found guilty of the brutal murder of his sister-in-law, Jacqueline Freeman. Tharpe had been having marital problems with his wife at the time of the murder, and his wife's sister, Jacqueline, had been staying with the couple to help with their children.

The prosecution argued that Tharpe had planned the murder in order to get rid of his sister-in-law and fix his marriage. The evidence against him was damning, with witnesses testifying that they had seen Tharpe leaving the scene of the crime on the night in question. Tharpe's own statements to police also seemed to implicate him in the murder.

Tharpe was ultimately convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. But as the years passed, doubts began to surface about Tharpe's guilt. In particular, one of the jurors who had convicted Tharpe came forward and revealed that he had voted for the death penalty because he believed Tharpe was a danger to society, not because he believed he had committed the murder.

This revelation led to a series of appeals and legal battles, culminating in Tharpe being granted a stay of execution just hours before he was scheduled to be put to death. The courts agreed to hear new evidence in Tharpe's case, including an affidavit from one of the jurors who said that racism may have played a role in Tharpe's conviction.

The episode explores these new developments in Tharpe's case, as well as the impact that the trial and subsequent years on death row have had on Tharpe's family. Tharpe's children, in particular, have struggled to come to terms with their father's conviction and the possibility that he may have been wrongfully sentenced to death.

Through interviews with Tharpe's family members, as well as legal experts and others involved in the case, viewers gain insight into the complex web of issues surrounding both Tharpe's conviction and the death penalty more generally. The episode raises important questions about the fairness of the justice system and the manner in which capital cases are tried and decided.

Overall, "Family Lies" is a gripping, emotional episode of Death Row Stories that will leave viewers thinking about the case of Keith Tharpe long after the credits roll.