I'm not delusional. I don't think I can save the world from inside my closet—where I host my podcasts—but maybe I can tell a story to someone who can.
I never stopped being a social worker and wanting to help people, so when I saw how badly Demarchoe Carpenter wanted to get his story out there—but didn't have the right storytelling method worked out—I wanted to help. I couldn't assist him with writing a book or creating a documentary, but I could most definitely help him make a podcast.
It's been a struggle, though. Demarchoe was wrongfully convicted of murder when he was 17. He spent 22 years trying to prove his innocence. That's a long time to be away from most modern technology. Demarchoe didn't even know what a podcast was when he was released from prison, and now he’s an important part of the production process.
Our agreement at the beginning of our creative journey was to do our best to educate and help people—and even if this podcast cost us negative dollars, we would still be satisfied if Buried Alive helped educate people about wrongful conviction.
We can only do so much in sharing Demarchoe's story. We hope, though, that the message reaches others who can use their skills to help combat wrongful conviction. Maybe by reaching enough people—or the right people—we can stop putting innocent people behind bars.
A big goal, indeed. But if we can't use podcasts and other platforms to shine a light on the biggest injustices in the world, then, really, what are they good for?
Demarchoe's story will be told on "Buried Alive" starting Sunday, May 13, 2018.
Brooke Gittings hosts A&E's Cold Case Files podcast and is the podcast host and producer at Borrowed Equipment Podcasts, which includes Convicted, Actual Innocence and more.
