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Revelations | "Murder in the Orange Grove" | "48 Hours" Podcast (Episode 4)

October 09, 2024 / 48:40

This episode of 48 Hours, titled "Murder in the Orange Grove: The Troubled Case Against Crosley Green," examines the wrongful conviction of Crosley Green for the murder of Chip Flynn in 1989. Key discussions include Crosley's denial of guilt, inconsistencies in witness testimonies, and the lack of physical evidence linking him to the crime.

The episode begins with Crosley Green's interview on death row, where he asserts his innocence and expresses hope for justice. Correspondent Aaron Morard reflects on his long-term investigation into the case, highlighting the community's divided opinions on Crosley's guilt.

Witness testimonies play a crucial role in the narrative, with several individuals, including Alan Jerome Murray and Tim Curtis, later admitting to lying under pressure during the trial. The episode also features Crosley's sister, Sheila, who reveals that her testimony against him was coerced.

As the investigation unfolds, the episode raises questions about the integrity of the judicial process, particularly regarding the racial dynamics in the case. The lack of physical evidence, such as fingerprints or a murder weapon, is emphasized, leading to a deeper exploration of the community's response to the wrongful conviction.

The episode concludes with a reflection on the implications of Crosley's case for the justice system and the ongoing fight for his exoneration.

TLDR

Crosley Green maintains his innocence in the murder of Chip Flynn, highlighting inconsistencies in witness testimonies and lack of evidence against him.

Episode

48:40
00:00:02
got a big key this you ready on September 9th 1999 I walked into the Union Correctional Institution in Rayford
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Florida Florida's death row going into a Maximum Security Prison isn't new to me I've been in dozens I've
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even done other interviews on death row face to face with convicted Killers but this case wait heavier on me who is
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Crosley green hi Crosley I'm Aaron morard with CBS News 48 Hours we've been looking at
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your case now it's really important to meet you and have viewers meet you nervous at all today no no I'm not
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nervous I'm a little shy but I'm not nervous it had been 9 years since Crosley was
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convicted for the murder of Chip Flynn and for the last 8 years he had been sitting on death row confined to a 6ft
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wide 9ot long cell and that's where he spent 23 and a half hours every day I want to ask you the question I
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think that everybody need you to answer did you kill chiplin no I did not kill that man
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[Music] I'm 48 Hours correspondent Aon morard this is murder in the Orange Grove the trouble case against Crosley
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Green episode 4 [Music] Revelations I've been examining and Reporting on crosley's case for 25 years
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since 1999 which is where we start this episode when I first met Crosley green why should I believe that you didn't
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kill chip Flyn I'm going tell you just like I tell people's my friends that was visiting me
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my attorneys hey I didn't kill that man all right but it's already embedded in your mind
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I'm a criminal why should I believe you initially I wondered could this be a case of mistaken identity the murder did
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occur on a moon less night in an unlit Orange Grove Kim H said over and over again she didn't get a good look at the
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as salent this was one of the first questionable conviction cases I had ever covered and I felt the need to find the
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truth the real truth because the consequences were life or death the room where we met Crossley was Tiny just
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enough space for me my cameraman and Crosley what what's it like being here on death row it's
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hell it's hell a lot in a lot of ways it's hell it's hell to me because I'm here for a crime I didn't
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commit all right then I got to sit in my S 24 hours a day do you ever think about what you face if you don't
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get out of here do I ever think about it no I don't think about it that is so far away from my
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mind I didn't expect to find a man with so much hope but Crosley appeared to be convinced that his murder conviction
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would one day be overturned if someone would just take a closer look well listen do me a favor just don't take my
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word go look at the records go look at every file that they [Music] got and so we did back then in the
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summer of 1999 chip Flynn's death 10 years ear earlier was still a dark painful memory
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in the small Florida communities of Titusville and Mims but it was mostly unknown to Outsiders like me I needed to
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go down there for myself to better understand the facts of the case for the next few weeks I met with different
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members of the community from attorneys and forensic experts to people who knew both crosy green and Chip Flynn people
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in their closest circles we spent days there at a time and kept going back I started with reviewing the police
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records and reading trial transcripts there seemed to be several prosecution witnesses who placed Crosley at the
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first crime scene holder Park like Willie Hampton a retired police officer at the time who testified that he saw
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Crosley wearing a jacket at the baseball game earlier in the day it was consistent with the description of the
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bolo that's the police term for be on the lookout but here's what Crosley said he was wearing that night what were you
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wearing I think it was a tank top which you would call a g shirt Red Jeans a pair of jeans and a pair of sneakers and
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what about a jacket no sir listen if I had on a jacket at that time when that bolo came out why so many people that
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was around me and I'm in sitting with them couldn't come up and say listen I remember a got there with a GRE Army
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jacket on he was sitting right beside me and there seemed to be inconsistencies about the as salent hair
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if you remember Kim HCK first told police that the as salent had an afro here she's talking to a sheriff's deputy
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on April 4th 1989 just hours after the murder okay uh what about the hair could you
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tell the hairstyle of the black nail just afro and there nothing fancy nothing weird was a thick long short
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just thick kind of long not long a littleit little bit of n but later at a pre-trial deposition the
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description of the as salent hair had changed Kim told defense attorney Rob Parker that the suspect had tight
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ringlets styled with a substance like a gel when I asked Crosley about how he wore his hair he insisted that it had
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been very short almost like a buzzcut as I kept pushing him for specific details you can hear him
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getting more and more frustrated until can I look at the camera cuz I want to say this in the camera man go ahead
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the way I look now is the way I look then I mean so your hair was that the way I look now is the way I look
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in that's short and she described someone with curls over the ears the way I look now
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to you this is exactly what I look like okay it may not be quite clear about what just happened but Crosley had
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become so frustrated with my questions over and over again about his hair that he suddenly just looked away from me and
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then looked straight into the camera lens and said the way I look now is the way I look then okay got it Crosley that
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is still one of my favorite moments from that first interview and more than another decade later Crosley still wears
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his hair pretty much the same he has short cropped hair almost completely shaven I think we all have ideas of what
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a Killer looks like Crosley didn't fit mine you could tell when someone is guarded not Crosley this was a guy who
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was open and eager to talk to me I got the sense that he was thrilled to finally get the chance to tell his side
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of the story I was told not to say nothing not to take the stand no not only not take the stand but after it was
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over I was told by my attorney uh don't say nothing I do the talking for you what did you want to say what I wanted
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to say I wanted to turn around and tell the parents of that kid that I'm sorry about their
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son but I didn't kill their son what struck me the most about talking to Crosley is not just that he denied
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killing chip I mean I expected that but how much he wanted to set the record straight with Chip's parents what pained
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him the most was that they thought he murdered their son they've been fed with something that is not
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true they have been fed with something that's not true okay and I feel bad for them I
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really do I feel bad for them when I lost my mother and father I know what I felt and for her to lose her son I know
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what she felt what's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of CH rarely did you see him without a
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smile on his face just rarely that smile he always wore yeah before I met Crosley I met Charles
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and Peggy Flynn Chip's parents it's the heart hard EST part of reporting on crime talking to parents who have lost a
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beloved child and Chip Flynn was a beloved child after his murder the 10 years that had passed had done nothing
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to reduce their pain they spoke to me in their Titusville Home what's the most important thing you
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want people to know about Chip he didn't deserve to die we sat at their dining room table with pi pictures
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of Chip over the years spread across the table Family Photos School Portraits in
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all of them chip is smiling with laughter in his eyes I'm a mom myself I don't know how anyone goes on after
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losing a child you you want to wake up every day and say hey this has all been a bad
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dream it's going to go away it don't chip was named after his father Charles Charles remembered Kim how
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faithful call in those early morning hours of April 4th 1989 she just told us that she just that
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they had been kidnapped and that this guy take him down the Orange Grove and it chip jumped out of the truck shooting
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to try to save her and she jumped in the truck and took off do you believe Crosley green is the
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man who robbed and killed your son yes absolutely AB I definitely do there's nothing no worse than I'd rather do see
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somebody go to the chair for something they didn't do but I think we want that to happen but I agree I feel like
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there's enough proof um that it that it has that the case has totally been proven that he did do it
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and that's the way I feel you're telling people you're innocent and you're still sitting here
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on death row I'm a poor black man I don't have no money to hire no lawyer no investigators
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I have to do it what they give me I have to I have to do with that while Crosley couldn't afford an
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attorney he did have a rotating cast of at least five court appointed defense attorneys at that point they had tried
00:12:19
and failed to get his conviction overturned or even get him off death row still Crosley remained upbeat convinced
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that he would someday walk free I have one one great big hope to try to help myself by writing to different
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peop and ask them for help to take a look at it you know I'm not just going to sit here and give up and not try to
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help myself turns out that crosley's willingness to talk to different people would prove to be a major turning point
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in his case in large part thanks to this woman Nan Webb I just almost feel driven sometimes
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to help people that can't help themselves cuz I think that's what we're supposed to do that's what God tells us
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we're supposed to do in 1999 when I met n web she was a 57-year-old teacher and anti-death row activist she and her
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husband Bill sat with me one afternoon in the kitchen of their Melbourne Florida home a flyer titled release
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Crosley green now was displayed prominently on their fridge alongside a photo of their poodle and a Serenity
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Prayer magnet here's bill and I just believe the man is innocent and I want to help him as much as I possibly can
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and support him and his his family what if Crosley green is guilty he's not but what if he is but he's
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not how can you know that because I've read the information and and we know Crosley they
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wanted to hire a private attorney for him but they didn't have the money so n went to a wrongful conviction conference
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in Chicago in hopes of meeting someone who would take the case pro bono and for the first time in nearly a decade
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crosley's luck took a turn after talking to Nan a private detective decided to recruit a team of five other
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investigators from across the country to reexamine the evidence against Crosley for
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[Music] free I asked Crosley what he thought about these investigators who were willing to drop everything to look into
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his case you can probably imagine his answer you feeling more helpful can I scream and I when I feel
00:15:01
good I like to cry out so can I cry out you feel good that's that's what I feel like and that's really how I along with
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a group of 48 Hours producers got involved in this story in early 1999 when we heard that a band of private
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detectives were reinvestigating crosley's case on their own dime we knew there was probably a story there
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around the beginning of August we rolled into town with a CBS News camera crew we
00:15:42
stuck out like a sore thumb and we had to be careful it felt like everyone knew each other and We Were Strangers from
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New York digging into a 10-year-old case that it clearly left its mark on Rural Florida
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my first impression of bravard County was that it's like many counties in Florida rural buggy especially with
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mosquitoes it was humid with wide open soggy spaces of overgrowth if you traveling north on
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Highway US1 on the right side is the area known as East Ms and that is where the vast majority of black citizens live
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on the west side is West Ms and that is where the vast majority of whites live when I started working on this podcast I
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wanted to know more about the racial history of Titusville and Mims and that's how we found Bill gar he's been
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involved in the local NAACP chapter for decades and told me about his experience
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moving to Bard County Now 50 years ago there was segregation here my my first wife and I bought a house out in North
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Titus field where there were no other black families and um we endured several months of people throwing citrus fruit
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on our house driving through our yards they spray painted the inward on both sides of of the house uh Florida to many
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people um conjures up an image of of beaches of palm trees Orange grows but also Florida
00:17:40
has a very dark history uh when it comes to the treatment of black citizens in this state at one time Florida was the
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leading state in terms of lynchings Bill is also board president of a cultural institution dedicated to
00:17:58
Harry and Harriet Moore the Moors were two activists who spearheaded the Florida civil rights movement right here
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in Mims in 1951 they were murdered when their house was bombed it's important because it's a part not only of the
00:18:17
African-American history uh of the state but also of the nation we have the annual hary Mo memorial service and when
00:18:28
we arrived there were some clu Clan Flyers all over the parking lot and they have been uh Flyers scattered in
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neighborhoods and stuff over different years while Bill Gary didn't know Crosley personally after crosley's
00:18:45
conviction in 1990 his brother ' Conor asked Bill to review the trial transcripts they both hope that bill
00:18:52
would see for himself the lack of evidence against Crosley and could help rally the Community to fight for his
00:19:01
release this was a big story back in ' 89 the people that I've talked to in the community I never heard any comments or
00:19:12
talks about uh Crossley attacking anybody or being violent at school or anything of that
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nature which is why I think many people were surprised when he was prosecuted for this as I continued to learn more
00:19:30
about crosley's case this was a common sentiment I heard from many people even though Crosley had had run-ins with the
00:19:38
law and a conviction for selling drugs no one could imagine he was capable of murder and why why did they want that
00:19:48
conviction so badly cuz a young white man dies yes uh and based on the testimony of a a young white woman and
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the the state attorney Journey that we had at that time uh was not interested in in Justice what they were interested
00:20:05
in is a conviction that State Attorney was Norm wolfinger prosecutor Chris White's boss
00:20:13
wolfinger died in 2016 but he was still in office in 1999 when I started to investigate this case from where you're
00:20:22
standing now do you believe that Crosley green is one who killed chip Flynn you know what I believe isn't important now
00:20:30
the jury has found him guilty the Flor the the judge has sentenced him to wolfinger and many in the local
00:20:36
community it was an open and shut Case crley green had murdered chip Flynn but N9 years after the trial Crosley still
00:20:45
couldn't believe that he had been convicted I really didn't expect them to find me guilty what can they find me
00:20:51
guilty of what evid [Music] this but now there was a new team of private detectives in town who were
00:21:01
starting to pick apart that evidence that group of five men and one woman from around the country who flew in to
00:21:09
reexamine crosley's case for free they have been in Bard County since July and when we caught up with them later that
00:21:17
summer they were sunburned tired and making progress all right let's rock and roll coming through the bug infested
00:21:29
Florida Orange Grove F got it they were pouring over old case documents topography maps and aerial
00:21:47
photographs of the crime scenes and they were searching for prosecution witnesses
00:21:53
who would be willing to talk to them they caught a break a big one when they found found Alan Jerome Murray he was
00:22:01
one of the several witnesses who testified against Crosley at his murder trial he was the witness of trial who
00:22:07
had been part of a group of men hanging around the corner in Mims known as 21 Jump Street Allan had testified that
00:22:15
Crosley was also there and told them he had just killed a man and that he was going to quote
00:22:22
disappear I spoke to Alan myself about this experience it's a little hard to hear and understand Allan on this
00:22:30
recording so listen carefully tell me about it what what what did you say 10 years ago sent an innocent man to prison
00:22:39
I sent an innocent man to prison Allan said Allan who was on Parole at the time of the murder told me that he felt
00:22:48
pressured by detectives to come up with a story about Crosley green any story that would connect him to the crime and
00:22:56
what did they want you to say that black man said he killed somebody and um they
00:23:01
told me and said um if I don't say what I what they want me to say I go right back to the slam what did you tell the
00:23:09
police they told me to say said he killed him so I just said he killed him again in case you couldn't quite hear
00:23:16
him Allan said they told me to say he killed him so I just said he killed him and did Crosley green ever tell you that
00:23:26
he didn't never told me that nearly 10 years after Allan testified against Crosley he admitted that he had lied on
00:23:34
the stand and apparently he wasn't the only one remember Tim Curtis that autoshop repair owner who told police
00:23:44
the sketch of the alleged as salent looked like Crosley well 10 years later he had a confession to make did that
00:23:53
sketch look like Crosley green No it didn't not at all the sketch was of a a fatter type
00:24:04
face person Crosley green had a real narrow narrow bone structure of the face did
00:24:12
you tell the police though that it looked like Crosley green I think I may have said that in
00:24:21
the report um why say anything at all I was angry I wanted the person who' done it I wanted Justice
00:24:35
done at all cost even if if the wrong person was convicted but at the time I thought we had the right person
00:24:48
or I felt that was the right person Tim had also told police that o Conor told him that Crosley had shot chip even
00:24:57
though Tim knew it wasn't true I think I may have said something like that I think that was almost like you
00:25:07
got a little fire going so you add a little bit more cold to it so you added embellished I think made up no I I
00:25:16
wouldn't go as far as to say really made up I think it's almost like how rumors get started you know I seen the guy
00:25:22
jumped to the creek by the time it gets back to you he swam the creek heck he walked on water before he got to the
00:25:27
other side do you believe you made a mistake now I do and if if Crosley green is innocent
00:25:37
and if Crosley green didn't do this well like they say the Opera ain't over till the fat lady sings and I think
00:25:46
the fat lady's fixing a sing on this one the investigative team was on a roll they track down another prosecution
00:25:54
witness Lonnie Hillary the fiance of crosley's sister he told these private investigators in a
00:26:02
videotaped statement that he felt pressured by prosecutor Chris White to testify against Crosley to corroborate
00:26:10
Sheila's account of that night at crosley's trial Lonnie corroborated Sheila's story and
00:26:21
testified that he saw Crosley in the hours after the murder and said that Crosley told him quote I [ __ ] up but
00:26:29
now 10 years later Lonnie told private investigators this wasn't true it couldn't be because Lonnie was with
00:26:37
Sheila for the entire night of the murder and the following morning and neither had spoken to Crosley about
00:26:46
[Music] anything but one of the most important Witnesses the woman whose testimony was
00:26:54
devastating to Crosley a trial well she was elusive and kept avoiding the investigators
00:27:01
calls that was Sheila green I asked Rob Parker crosley's defense attorney for the 1990 trial just
00:27:10
how damning was Sheila's testimony you know basically told Crosley I said you know she strapped you
00:27:16
in did you believe Sheila green at that time do you believe that Crosley green actually told her did no I don't believe
00:27:23
that why do you think Sheila green testified against her own brother that way why want to go to federal
00:27:33
prison the more I learned about this case the more I realized just how powerful her testimony was against her
00:27:41
brother did she also lie on the stand just like Lonnie Hillary and Alan Jerome Murray it became clear that in order to
00:27:49
overturn crosley's case the pis would need to track down Sheila and ask did Crosley really confess
00:27:58
the pressure was on to find her and we appealed to her older sister Shirley White I can only show Sheila love and
00:28:07
give her love the rest is up to Sheila but do you want her to come forward now I want her to come forward I
00:28:15
told her today to come forward she will I know she will she's my sister she will I have that much confidence in
00:28:26
her somehow Shirley did her magic and later that week there she was leaning against a vehicle Sheila spoke with the
00:28:37
investigators I wasn't allowed to hear that initial conversation and I thought if she didn't
00:28:44
want to talk to them she'll never talk to me a reporter with a camera but she did what have these last 10 years been
00:28:54
like for you it's been like he that's something I had to live with for the for 10 years every time I look at
00:29:04
news and hear about an individual death R I think about my brother and I knew that he's there not only for my
00:29:13
statement but for other people statement but I knew mine was a lie and I always told myself one day that I was going to
00:29:20
help him I didn't know about how to go about helping him because I was so afraid
00:29:28
of what the outcome of my situation is because I'm on probation and um I don't know the
00:29:36
judicial system you know and I was afraid of being sent back to prison it was painful to hear Sheila's
00:29:45
story she's a mother and she said prosecutors promised to reduce her upcoming sentence on a drug conviction
00:29:53
if she gave information about crosley's whereabouts on the night of 's murder what did they say would happen if you
00:30:01
didn't testify against your brother I would never see my kids again they said that specific
00:30:08
yes my kids is is one of my weakness you know you use my kids it's like you stabbing me in my heart with a
00:30:16
knife and I never been separated from my kids and I felt that I wanted to see him again so I
00:30:25
cooperated with the DEA and um State Attorney office are you telling me Sheila then that your entire testimony
00:30:33
against your brother was a lie was the whole lie what did that feel like on the stand I felt
00:30:46
horrible it was wrong but I felt I had to do it do you think Crosley had anything to do with
00:30:56
the murder no have you talked to Crosley at all in all these 10 years no I haven't do you want
00:31:07
to yes what would you tell him he will understand you think he will yes he will he know I did
00:31:28
it's okay he he wouldn't be mad with me and Sheila was right when I asked him about
00:31:37
this terrible betrayal Crosley didn't seem to be mad or even holding a grudge against his sister I'm not no rookie
00:31:47
with just a sister okay um um I was 31 she was what 23 24 okay okay and she never went through a system
00:32:02
before they shuck her up pretty pretty good things changed when they start to really messing with and start talking
00:32:10
about taking her kids and stuff away from them come on crowy no I don't hate my sister man cuz it ain't Sheila
00:32:18
fault no it ain't Sheila fault she testified against you listen when I saw my sister in trial
00:32:27
that was my sister okay and it hurted me to my heart to see her like that that wasn't my sister Sheila did
00:32:37
not receive the lighter sentence she was promised she ultimately gained nothing from testifying against
00:32:47
Crosley surprisingly Crosley didn't have anger towards the people who testified against him because he knew the system
00:32:55
he knew prosecutors and investig tigators can and sometimes would divide families just to convict someone I'm a
00:33:04
lawyer and still this was shocking to me you've had what 10 years at least to think about what happened that night
00:33:16
what do you think happened what I think I think it's terrible that a young man got
00:33:23
killed okay but who killed him how he got killed and all that I don't know but do you think that
00:33:37
there is another man out there a black man by another man out there a killer I don't know this young
00:33:46
lady okay I'm not going to call her a liar maybe it wasn't no one maybe it was someone I wasn't there I can't tell you
00:33:56
that I cannot tell you that I had my doubts and I still have my doubts this is Alma Jean Bloss one of
00:34:12
the jurors on that 12 person allwhite jury that convicted Crosley of murder on a hot Florida summer day in
00:34:21
1999 I sat at her kitchen island a scan of the local paper Florida today between
00:34:28
us it was the first article that the paper had written on the murder of Chip Flynn 10 years
00:34:35
ago Alma was composed but she was troubled all these years later she was still haunted by her decision to vote
00:34:44
for a guilty verdict and seemed to want to get it off her chest from the very beginning you from the very from the
00:34:52
very beginning yes the evidence was lacking pieces from the puzzle were gone there was no proof of this and that what
00:34:59
worried you the most well no fingerprints in the truck that's was that was my biggest thing no
00:35:05
fingerprints when he drove a truck and no gloves mentioned did he put his socks on his hands remember the only
00:35:12
identifiable prints found on Chip's truck belonged to Kim hoc no prints anywhere on that truck were traced back
00:35:21
to Crosley Alma had other concerns too they never found crosley's gun so did he have one and how did they know
00:35:30
what color clothes in an Orange Grove was pitch dark the fact that there was only one
00:35:36
eyewitness a young white woman identifying a black man did that concern you well to me actually I tell you it
00:35:43
was like a madeup story you thought that at the time in my personal opinion down
00:35:49
deep in I thought it was a madeup thing and then she said she saw the shots it was like she saw the shots
00:35:56
after Dark how could you see them you might hear them and that bothered me it's bothered me for all these years
00:36:05
and yet even with all these questions and yes doubts during the trial Alma voted to convict Crosley along with 11
00:36:15
other jurors did you feel pressure in the Jury Room to convict him yes I did because he had a previous past he had
00:36:23
just got out of prison or the jury they just kept saying he did it he did it did
00:36:27
it and I held out till the end what made you finally give in I just they're all against me and I
00:36:38
was the only one and it was down to the Grits so that's what you do Alma could have hung that jury and
00:36:47
maybe saved Crosley from Death Row after talking to Alma and thinking more about the evidence I began to
00:36:55
consider really for the first time time a completely different theory of the crime and it's something that Crosley
00:37:03
himself had alluded to in his interview what if this wasn't a case of mistaken identity of a third- party as
00:37:14
salent what if there was no third person at all just Kim and chip in that Orange
00:37:22
Grove I asked State Attorney Norm wolfinger why wasn't in this particular case Kim hoc ever considered a
00:37:30
suspect well I'm not getting into the investigation I can't say she was or wasn't I that was uh something that
00:37:37
happened in the investigation I went through the entire investigation I went through the entire file I went read
00:37:45
through all the court transcripts at no time did the police question her story they never tested her hair to see if a
00:37:52
gun had been held up against her head they never tested her clothing they never tested her hands why wouldn't that
00:37:57
be done wouldn't that be standard procedure well again I'm not going to get into the
00:38:01
investigation back in 1999 there was nothing in the police records or court documents to indicate that law
00:38:09
enforcement or prosecutors ever question Kim's story I wanted to hear directly from her about what happened that night
00:38:18
but she denied 48 Hours multiple requests for an interview we don't really know what Kim
00:38:25
thinks she's never agreed to talk with us but Kim did provide us with a statement that read in part quote for
00:38:33
the last 10 years I've had to live with the memories and nightmares of that horrific evening the fact is there are
00:38:41
only two surviving Witnesses from that evening myself and Crosley and I'm sure deep down inside Crosley knows that he's
00:38:50
right where he deserves to be I took another look at the physical evidence presented at trial the
00:38:59
prosecution had shown the jury a diagram of holder Park the first crime scene that showed shoeprints that stopped
00:39:07
where Chip's truck was reportedly parked but reviewing the crime scene videotape
00:39:12
again with the private detectives we noticed a discrepancy here is Agent Demars talking
00:39:19
on the video taking hours after the murder we heard some of this recording in past episodes and I think it's
00:39:27
important to Play It Again crime scene begins with what we believe to be suspect shoe prints that
00:39:35
initiate at this point agent dears assumed that the alleged attacker arrived at the park in
00:39:43
a vehicle because the shoe prints appeared to start on the side of the road heading in a West Direction up into
00:39:51
the area between the trees which is where the victim's vehicle was parked along with the two victims prior to the
00:40:00
abduction this so far matches the police diagram presented at trial but in the videotape crime scene walkth through
00:40:10
dears continues you she Prince after proceeding West will then continue on around just to the outside of this
00:40:22
fence with the last shoe print being seen just north of the second cement pole the shoe Prince that Demars is
00:40:31
following the one she believes belongs to the alleged as salent left the park along the fence so how could he have
00:40:39
gotten into the truck with chip and [Music] Kim the investigative team and I examined another important piece of
00:40:49
evidence Chip's truck it was a hulking 82 Chevrolet Stepside 4x4 pickup it was massive the tires were so big that the
00:41:00
only way to get into the truck was by grabbing along the window frames and Hauling yourself in I asked Tim Curtis
00:41:09
who had once owned the truck and then later sold it to chip if it was as hard to drive as it looked yeah if you look
00:41:18
at Kim's statement she never mentions any problem with the driving I mean with is that possible from what you know
00:41:25
about this truck I'm no way I drove that truck I know exactly how that truck drove 100% without a shadow of a doubt
00:41:33
at all you could not get in that truck and take off without it stalling that is a fact even if you knew a lot about
00:41:40
driving stick I heck I owned the truck and at times when I'd pull away from a stoplight I would even stall it and I've
00:41:46
driven it for who knows how long and got a lot of experience driving trucks like
00:41:52
that if even a career auto mechanic has had issues with stalling Chip's truck I wondered how someone like Crosley could
00:42:00
have driven it for the first time that night steering and shifting and don't forget with the added challenge of
00:42:09
pointing a gun at Kim and Chip all at the same time crosley's trial attorney Rob Parker
00:42:19
never asked Crosley back in 1989 if he knew how to drive a stick shift and the new team of piis told me
00:42:27
they hadn't asked him either but I was raised driving cars with standard transmissions and it came up in my
00:42:35
conversation with Crosley we were talking about the morning after Chip's murder when C Crosley said he was
00:42:42
helping his cousin carlen with her car and did you try to move the car oh yeah I tried I tried to drive a car but you
00:42:50
know she don't like me to drive it because I can't drive a car what do you mean you can't drive a car I can't drive
00:42:55
a car why not why can't you drive her car this is a stick shift and I get I have trouble driving a car okay and what
00:43:02
do you mean you have trouble driving okay I have probably shifting her car her shifter and it jerks when I tried to
00:43:08
drive it to be sure we checked later with carlen and she corroborated that Crosley tried to move the car but as she
00:43:16
put it he kept quote jerking it Crosley helped me out here if you have trouble driving stick
00:43:25
Shi and standard transmission I mean you knew that truck that chip Flynn owned was standard transmission why didn't you
00:43:32
tell your lawyer that I didn't knew that what do you mean how how I supposed to know that man got a standing ship or
00:43:41
automatic how I supposed to know you tell me how I supposed to know what kind of truck that man
00:43:48
got such a simple detail that somehow fell through the cracks of trial the fact that the truck had a standard
00:43:57
transmission with a clutch was part of the evidence of trial and yet no one thought to ask Crosley if he could even
00:44:05
drive it I asked defense attorney Rob Parker to clarify for me more details of the
00:44:12
case did the prosecutors ever find any Fingerprints of Crossley greens no did they find any bloody clothing
00:44:19
no did they find this as salance weapon no did they find any weapon that Crosley
00:44:26
green owned that could be connected to that shooting no ma'am did they find any evidence at all physical evidence that
00:44:34
Crosley green was there quite to the contrary they found evidence um fingerprint evidence latent fingerprints
00:44:42
that are not Crosley greens and are to this day unidentified by the end of our time in
00:44:48
Bard County I felt like I was leaving with more questions than answers why was there a man sitting on
00:44:57
death row for nearly a decade when there was no direct physical evidence tying him to the
00:45:03
crime my crew and I headed home to New York to work on our broadcast and thought we might be dealing with a
00:45:11
wrongful conviction 48 hours we take you [Music] there on November 1st 1999 48 Hours aired its first broadcast
00:45:26
on Crosley green Dan Rather introduced our story a condemned man is waiting to die he insists that he's innocent and
00:45:37
perhaps he is back in the 90s CBS and Broadcast News in general had a lot of power news networks were the only game
00:45:45
in town and there were very few wrongful convictions reported on the air still reversing a death sentence can be an
00:45:54
impossible mission our report gave national attention to this small town murder but it also Shook Up rard County
00:46:03
the investigative team turned up four people who had testified against Crosley who then later recanted their stories
00:46:11
even at the risk of being charg with perjury this was a Monumental Revelation for the community there and one for me
00:46:20
too what happens if they don't get you a new trial what happened he from this day
00:46:26
forward like I say if I make it I don't make it it's always going to be a question about
00:46:34
this case it's always going to be something about this case that people's going to
00:46:39
wonder [Music] about on the next episode of Murder in the Orange Grove the troubled case
00:46:49
against Crosley green you have tons of circumstantial evidence against Kim you know I don't see how how it could
00:46:59
have gone the way it did you actually believe chip came up with this story along with her absolutely there's no he
00:47:05
have to he'd have to and if it was some stranger who abducted him and shot him I
00:47:09
think the first words out of his mouth would be he went that way it was a black man he went that way you know but he
00:47:15
would never say it's always just get me out of here get me out of here get me out of here that's all he would ever say
00:47:24
[Music] murder in the Orange Grove was reported by me Aon morard alongside producers
00:47:42
Alan Pang Annie Cronenberg and Allison Bailey Kiara orbits is our coordinating producer and Florence bro Adams is our
00:47:52
story editor additional production support from Dylan Gordon Marlon polycarp Caroline Casey and Christine
00:48:00
Driscoll Judy tigart is the executive producer of 48 Hours Gail Zimmerman asena basak Mark goom Charlotte Fuller
00:48:10
Judy Ryback and Steven McCain produced the original 48 Hours episodes associate producers were Michael Loftus and
00:48:18
Shaheen Toki Patty aronowski was a senior producer special thanks to Megan Marcus
00:48:26
Jamie johon Nick poser and Gail spru [Music]

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 85
    Most heartbreaking
  • 80
    Most shocking
  • 80
    Biggest twist
  • 75
    Most emotional

Episode Highlights

  • Crosley Green's Hope
    Despite being on death row, Crosley remains hopeful for his innocence to be proven.
    “I didn't expect to find a man with so much hope.”
    @ 03m 31s
    October 09, 2024
  • The Pain of Loss
    Chip Flynn's parents share their enduring grief over their son's murder.
    “He didn't deserve to die.”
    @ 10m 27s
    October 09, 2024
  • Racial History of Florida
    Exploring the racial dynamics and history of the communities involved in the case.
    “Florida has a very dark history when it comes to the treatment of black citizens.”
    @ 17m 40s
    October 09, 2024
  • Confessions of a Witness
    Witness Allan Jerome Murray reveals he felt pressured to testify against Crosley.
    “I sent an innocent man to prison.”
    @ 22m 39s
    October 09, 2024
  • Sheila's Confession
    Sheila reveals her testimony against her brother was a lie, driven by fear.
    “I knew mine was a lie and I always told myself one day that I was going to help him.”
    @ 29m 15s
    October 09, 2024
  • Crosley's Forgiveness
    Crosley expresses understanding towards his sister's betrayal during the trial.
    “I don't hate my sister man, 'cause it ain't Sheila's fault.”
    @ 32m 15s
    October 09, 2024
  • Alma's Regret
    Juror Alma reflects on her doubts about the evidence that led to Crosley's conviction.
    “It was like a made-up story.”
    @ 35m 43s
    October 09, 2024

Episode Quotes

  • It's hell to me because I'm here for a crime I didn't commit.
    Revelations | "Murder in the Orange Grove" | "48 Hours" Podcast (Episode 4)
  • I feel bad for them. They have been fed with something that's not true.
    Revelations | "Murder in the Orange Grove" | "48 Hours" Podcast (Episode 4)
  • I sent an innocent man to prison.
    Revelations | "Murder in the Orange Grove" | "48 Hours" Podcast (Episode 4)
  • It's like you stabbing me in my heart with a knife.
    Revelations | "Murder in the Orange Grove" | "48 Hours" Podcast (Episode 4)
  • It was like a made-up story.
    Revelations | "Murder in the Orange Grove" | "48 Hours" Podcast (Episode 4)
  • I just held out till the end.
    Revelations | "Murder in the Orange Grove" | "48 Hours" Podcast (Episode 4)

Key Moments

  • Crosley's Denial01:28
  • Death Row Reality03:00
  • Community Impact04:28
  • Racial Tensions17:40
  • Witness Pressure22:50
  • Sheila's Testimony26:54
  • Sheila's Pain30:14
  • Alma's Doubts35:43

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown