Introducing: Letters from Sing Sing

Introducing: Letters from Sing Sing

Author: NBC News Studios February 10, 2023 Duration: 1:14
In December of 2002, NBC News producer Dan Slepian got a letter from a New York state prison. It was detailed and meticulous, almost like it had been written by a lawyer. But it wasn’t. 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? But JJ was adamant about his innocence. He had devoted years to fighting his case, spending hours in the law library, poring over every page of his file. He was confident that if Dan looked into it, he’d see the truth. He even challenged Dan to prove him guilty. 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.

Letters from Sing Sing begins with a letter that arrived at NBC News in 2002, pulling producer Dan Slepian into a story he never expected. It came from Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, a man serving a life sentence for the murder of a retired police officer, who maintained his innocence. This podcast follows Dan’s decade-long journey as he grapples with that initial skepticism-how could five eyewitnesses be mistaken?-and meticulously re-examines a case that seemed closed. Listeners are taken inside the painstaking process of investigative journalism, from tracking down reluctant witnesses to uncovering forgotten evidence, all while navigating the complex realities of the criminal justice system. The narrative is built from intimate, often raw conversations with JJ from prison, police interviews, and courtroom drama, creating a tense and deeply human audio experience. It’s a story about doubt, persistence, and the profound weight of a single request for someone to simply look. This isn’t a typical true crime recap; it’s a real-time chronicle of a reporter’s quest for truth, making each episode feel urgent and personal. The podcast challenges easy conclusions, inviting you to follow the facts wherever they lead and to question what you think you know about guilt, memory, and justice.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 11

Letters from Sing Sing
Podcast Episodes
Last Stop on the Road to Freedom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:15
In this bonus episode of the award-winning Letters from Sing Sing podcast, veteran producer Dan Slepian reflects on the final chapter in J.J. Velazquez’s hard-fought path to full exoneration after being wrongfully convic…
Dan Slepian reads an excerpt from “The Sing Sing Files” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:47
Hear an exclusive audio excerpt from Dateline producer Dan Slepian’s new book “The Sing Sing Files” which chronicles his two-decade journey navigating the criminal justice system to help free six innocent men. Available…
The Apology [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:18
JJ is out of prison, but in the eyes of the law, he is still a convicted killer.
The Call [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:10
For the first time in 19 years, JJ puts on a suit and goes to court.
Friendship [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:30
JJ turns 40. Jon gets in trouble. Dan receives a mysterious envelope with missing police reports.
Integrity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:29
The Manhattan DA’s office reinvestigates JJ’s case. A tip surfaces about Mustafa and Dan follows it to Seattle.
Peer Pressure [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:51
Dan talks to two jurors from JJ’s trial and tracks down the alleged accomplice. JJ’s story finally goes public.
Eyewitnesses [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:52
Police said five people identified JJ as the man who killed Al Ward. Dan sets out to find them.
74 Minutes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:03
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.
JJ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:49
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.