Discerning the Truth: Interrogations and False Confessions | My Life of Crime
Melissa Calusinski has been in prison for over 10 years after she says she falsely confessed to killing an 18-month-old baby at a daycare center. Marty Tankleff spent 17 years in prison after falsely “confessing” to murdering his parents.Why would someone admit to something they didn’t do? Host Erin Moriarty interviews Dr. Saul Kassin, distinguished professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and author of, “Duped: Why Innocent People Confess – and Why We Believe Their Confessions” on the machinations behind false confessions.Featuring the 48 Hours investigations, “The Fight for Melissa” and “Marty Tankleff’s Fight for the Truth”.
- Duration
- 32m
- Broadcast on
- 23 Nov 2022
- Audio Format
- other
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It's Erin Moriarty, and we have a special episode for you today from my original podcast, "My Life of Crime." I'm taking you inside true crime investigations like no one else, taking on killers and those accused of crimes. Here's an all-new episode of "My Life of Crime" that takes you deeper into the psychology behind "The Fight for Melissa" and "Marty Tankless, Fight for the Truth." That's Melissa Kowuzinski inside a police interrogation room. The year was 2009, Melissa was a 22-year-old daycare worker, accused of hurting an 18-month-old baby. The interrogation went on for nine hours. She told police over and over again she didn't hurt the baby, but they didn't believe her. Finally, Melissa gave in and told detectives what they believed she had done, that she had become frustrated with the baby and killed him. Two years after that interrogation, Melissa Kowuzinski was convicted of that baby's murder, and today, 11 years later, she is still in a woman's prison outside of Peoria, Illinois. But here's the part of the case that's so troubling. Since that conviction, the medical evidence used against her trial has been called into question and discredited. The medical examiner who did the autopsy has admitted he made a mistake, and yet Melissa Kowuzinski remains in prison and could spend the rest of her life in prison. Why? Because of what happened inside that small interview room. I'm Erin Moriarty, and this is My Life of Crime. Melissa Kowuzinski is now 36 years old. She remains in prison mainly because of that 2009 police interrogation. Her confession was a powerful piece of evidence. No one just admits to a murder today, Melissa had to have done something. Why else would she say what she did? Whatever one thinks about Melissa's innocence or guilt, the videotapes of her interrogation demonstrate many of the themes associated with coerced confessions. To explain further is Dr. Saul Kassen. He's a distinguished professor of psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan, and he has written a book about coerced confessions, duped. Why innocent people confess and why we believe their confessions. So Dr. Kassen, I love the name of this book because the first question I had is why duped? Who is being duped here? Well, that is an outstanding first question because there are two subtitles to the book. The first person being duped is the suspect who has led to believe that it's in their better interest to confess than to continue denial. The second people being duped are you and me and the judge and the jury and the courts because false confessions are not just admissions of guilt. They are statements that wreak of credibility. And there are two myths here. The first myth is I'd never confessed to a crime I didn't commit. My answer to that is you might. The second myth is I'd know a false confession if I saw one, no you wouldn't. Well, so the reason why I wanted to start with Melissa's confession is because you've seen it. I've seen it. It went on for, at first she's denied it, but the whole thing goes on for nine hours.
Transcription truncated.
Melissa Calusinski has been in prison for over 10 years after she says she falsely confessed to killing an 18-month-old baby at a daycare center. Marty Tankleff spent 17 years in prison after falsely “confessing” to murdering his parents.Why would someone admit to something they didn’t do? Host Erin Moriarty interviews Dr. Saul Kassin, distinguished professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and author of, “Duped: Why Innocent People Confess – and Why We Believe Their Confessions” on the machinations behind false confessions.Featuring the 48 Hours investigations, “The Fight for Melissa” and “Marty Tankleff’s Fight for the Truth”.