Good kids, bad city : a story of race and wrongful conviction in America's rust belt

From an award-winning investigative journalist—the dramatic story of the longest wrongful imprisonment in the United States to end in exoneration, and the city that convicted them In the early 1970s, three African African American men—Wiley Bridgeman, Kwame Ajamu, and Ricky Jackson—were accused and convicted of the brutal robbery and murder of a man outside of a convenience store in Cleveland, Ohio. The prosecution's case, which resulted in a combined 106 years in prison for the three men, rested on the testimony of Ed Vernon, a preteen with questionable motives of his own. The actual murderer was never found. Almost four decades later, Vernon recanted his testimony, and Wiley, Kwame, and Ricky were released. Theirs was the longest wrongful imprisonment to end in exoneration in American history, and in Good Kids, Bad City , investigative journalist Kyle Swenson tells their story, and that of the city that wrongfully convicted...

From award-winning investigative journalist Kyle Swenson, Good Kids, Bad City is the true story of the longest wrongful imprisonment in the United States to end in exoneration, and a critical social and political history of Cleveland, the city that convicted them.

In the early 1970s, three African-American men—Wiley Bridgeman, Kwame Ajamu, and Rickey Jackson—were accused and convicted of the brutal robbery and murder of a man outside of a convenience store in Cleveland, Ohio. The prosecution’s case, which resulted in a combined 106 years in prison for the three men, rested on the more-than-questionable testimony of a pre-teen, Ed Vernon.

The actual murderer was never found. Almost four decades later, Vernon recanted his testimony, and Wiley, Kwame, and Rickey were released. But while their exoneration may have ended one of American history’s most disgraceful miscarriages of justice, the corruption and decay of the city responsible for their imprisonment remain on trial.

Interweaving the dramatic details of the case with Cleveland’s history—one that, to this day, is fraught with systemic discrimination and racial tension—Swenson reveals how this outrage occurred and why. Good Kids, Bad City is a work of astonishing empathy and insight: an immersive exploration of race in America, the struggling Midwest, and how lost lives can be recovered.

"From award-winning investigative journalist Kyle Swenson, the true story of one of the longest wrongful imprisonments in the United States to end in exoneration, and a critical social and political history of Cleveland, the city that convicted them. In the early 1970s, three African-American men--Wiley Bridgeman, Kwame Ajamu, and Rickey Jackson--were accused and convicted of the brutal robbery and murder of a man outside of a convenience store in Cleveland, Ohio. The prosecution's case, which resulted in a combined 106 years in prison for the three men, rested on the testimony of a twelve-year-old boy from the neighborhood. Almost four decades later, the eyewitness recanted his testimony, and the convictions of Wiley, Kwame, and Rickey were overturned. But while their exoneration may have ended one of American history's most disgraceful miscarriages of justice, the corruption and decay of the city responsible for their imprisonment remain. Interweaving dramatic details of the case with his own research into Cleveland's history, award-winning journalist Kyle Swenson reveals how decades of bad policy and policing were often catastrophic for the city' most vulnerable citizens. Good Kids, Bad City is a work of astonishing empathy and insight: an immersive exploration of systemic racism in America, the struggling Midwest, and how lives lost to incarceration can be recovered."--Jacket From award-winning investigative journalist Kyle Swenson, Good Kids, Bad City is the true story of the longest wrongful imprisonment in the United States to end in exoneration, and a critical social and political history of Cleveland, the city that convicted them. In the early 1970s, three African-American men--Wiley Bridgeman, Kwame Ajamu, and Rickey Jackson--were accused and convicted of the brutal robbery and murder of a man outside of a convenience store in Cleveland, Ohio. The prosecution's case, which resulted in a combined 106 years in prison for the three men, rested on the more-than-questionable testimony of a pre-teen, Ed Vernon. The actual murderer was never found. Almost four decades later, Vernon recanted his testimony, and Wiley, Kwame, and Rickey were released. But while their exoneration may have ended one of American history's most disgraceful miscarriages of justice, the corruption and decay of the city responsible for their imprisonment remain on trial. Interweaving the dramatic details of the case with Cleveland's history--one that, to this day, is fraught with systemic discrimination and racial tension--Swenson reveals how this outrage occurred and why. Good Kids, Bad City is a work of astonishing empathy and insight: an immersive exploration of race in America, the struggling Midwest, and how lost lives can be recovered. Documents The True Story Of One Of The Longest Wrongful Imprisonment Cases In U.s. History, Detailing How Three African-american Men Were Incarcerated For Nearly Four Decades Before A Questionable Witness Recanted His Testimony. A Spark Plus A Spark Plus A Spark -- That Particular Day -- Black And Blue -- X-ray Eyes -- We Yet Exist -- Mens Rea -- Alhamdulillah -- The Males Are From The Neighborhood -- What The Boy Saw -- Super Flop -- Hypertension -- We Can Fix This -- 39 Years, 3 Months, 6 Days -- Not Your Town Anymore -- Epilogue: Comeback. Kyle Swenson. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 271-280) And Index