The Confessions

November 9, 2010 // 01:24:24
The Confessions
November 9, 2010 // 01:24:24
Season 29: Episode 3

Why would four innocent men confess to a brutal crime they didn’t commit? FRONTLINE producer Ofra Bikel (Innocence Lost, An Ordinary Crime) investigates the conviction of four Navy sailors for the rape and murder of a Norfolk, Virginia, woman in 1997. In interviews with the sailors, Bikel learns of some of the high-pressure police interrogation techniques, including the threat of the death penalty, sleep deprivation, and intimidation, that led each of the “Norfolk Four” to confess, despite the lack of any evidence linking them to the crime. [Explore more stories on the original website for The Confessions.]

produced by
Ofra Bikel
investigations
Locked Up in America

Features

"Norfolk Four" Pardoned 20 Years After False Confessions

March 22, 2017 // by Priyanka Boghani

One of the Norfolk Four Makes a Final Appeal to the Supreme Court

April 3, 2013 // by Sarah Childress

New Appeal in False Confession Case Focuses on Sex Offender Status

March 19, 2012 // by Gretchen Gavett

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Related

A Rare Look at the Police Tactics That Can Lead to False Confessions
December 9, 2011
Latest "Norfolk Four" Appeal Rejected
September 22, 2011
Lawyers Push for New Appeal for Three of the "Norfolk Four"
September 1, 2011
Study Offers Disturbing False Confession Insights
August 12, 2011
The Confessions: One of the "Norfolk Four" Cleared of Rape/Murder Charges
August 4, 2011
Overturned Conviction Upheld in False Confession Case
April 21, 2011
Judge Rejects Norfolk Four Appeals
March 21, 2011
Key Detective in False Confession Case Sentenced
February 12, 2011
Did a Detective Admit to the Innocence of Four Men He Helped Convict?
December 21, 2010

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