John Bunn grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and at just 14 years old was arrested for a murder he did not commit. His case was handled by NYPD Detective Louis Scarcella, whose investigative practices would later come under intense scrutiny in numerous wrongful-conviction cases. Despite Bunn and his 17-year-old co-defendant not matching the description of the shooters, both teenagers were convicted in 1992, and John was sentenced to 7 years to life. Behind bars, he taught himself to read, earned his GED at 17, and ultimately spent years fighting to prove his innocence. After being paroled in 2006, that fight continued for another 12 years until his conviction was vacated and all charges were dismissed in 2018. In 2020, New York City settled his wrongful-conviction lawsuit for $5.9 million.
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Connect with John Bunn:
https://www.instagram.com/therealjohnbunn/?hl=en
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Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:
https://ianbick.com/
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Timestamps:
00:00 Wrongfully Convicted at 14
00:34 Growing Up in Brooklyn
03:12 Anger and Illiteracy
06:18 Father's Murder
08:50 Arrest and Interrogation
14:00 Trial and Conviction
20:00 Sentencing and Prison
28:00 Life After Exoneration
38:00 The Guards and the Crime
45:00 Mother and Family
51:00 Stopping a Prison Assault
56:00 Release from Prison
01:03:00 Path to Exoneration
01:15:00 Adjusting to Freedom
01:28:00 Prison Life and Violence
01:38:00 Exoneration and Lawsuits
01:49:00 Advocacy and Public Speaking
01:56:00 Lessons Learned
02:03:00 Conclusion and Gratitude
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