The Confessions

How could four men confess to a brutal crime that they didn't commit? Inside the incredible saga of the Norfolk Four -- a case that cracks open the justice system to reveal almost everything that goes wrong when innocent people get convicted.
COMMENTS Tweet Introduction » InterviewsAn ex-NYPD detective... an expert on false confessions... and the attornys for Danial Williams and Joe Dick... Updates / Contact InformationThe status of the men's appeals; updates on Detective Ford and the prosecutor What Most People Don’t KnowPerfectly legal interrogation techniques ... facts not in the film ...some background from producer Ofra Bikel False Confessions & InterrogationsMajor studies and readings, news coverage and resources Case Timeline Join the Discussion Eight men charged. Five confessions. But only one DNA match. Why would four innocent men confess to a brutal crime they didn't commit? In The Confessions, FRONTLINE producer Ofra Bikel (Innocence Lost, An Ordinary Crime) investigates the conviction of four men -- current and former sailors in the U.S. Navy -- for the rape and murder of a Norfolk, Va., woman in 1997. In the first television interviews with the "Norfolk Four" since their release, Bikel learns of some of the high-pressure police interrogation techniques -- the threat of the death penalty, sleep deprivation, intimidation -- that led each of the men to confess, despite the lack of any evidence linking them to the crime. (read more ») Audiocast Press Reaction Teacher’s Guide DVDs Transcript Credits Site Map Journalistic Guidelines	SUPPORT PROVIDED BY UPDATES August 04, 2011 The Confessions: One of the "Norfolk Four" Cleared of Rape/Murder Charges "It is over," declared a Virginia judge as he dropped two felony charges against Derek Tice, who claimed his admission to a brutal rape and murder was coerced. more » April 21, 2011 Overturned Conviction Upheld in False Confession Case An appeals court rules that lawyers should have moved to exclude Derek Tice's problematic admission of guilt. He's one of the men profiled in our 2010 film "The Confessions." More -- more » March 21, 2011 Judge Rejects Norfolk Four Appeals Their rape and murder convictions will not be thrown out, says Judge Everett Martin, citing a late filing and a lack of evidence. more » ELSEWHERE: Next on FRONTLINE The Man Who Knew COMING Aug. 30 HIGHLIGHTS POPULAR PAGES FRONTLINE Receives Six Emmy Nominations Wed, August 17, 2011 Drafted: Diary of a Revolutionary Guard Conscript Thu, August 11, 2011 Meet The Man Who Shaped Michelle Bachmann's Views Wed, August 10, 2011 Five NOPD Officers Guilty in Post-Katrina Shooting Fri, August 5, 2011 One of the Norfolk Four Cleared of Charges Thu, August 4, 2011 The Anthrax Files: Judge Allows DOJ Revision Fri, July 29, 2011 When Kids Get Life \| FRONTLINE Watch Online \| The Dark Side \| FRONTLINE Watch The Full Program Online \| Is Wal-Mart Good For America? \| FRONTLINE Excerpt From The Program \| Sex Slaves \| FRONTLINE The Tank Man \| FRONTLINE Money And March Madness The Business Watch Online \| The Plea \| FRONTLINE The Story Of The Storytellers \| From Jesus To Christ Living Old \| FRONTLINE
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How could four men confess to a brutal crime that they didn't commit? Inside the incredible saga of the Norfolk Four -- a case that cracks open the justice system to reveal almost everything that goes wrong when innocent people get convicted.

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