Dateline Originals

25-year-old Arelie Garcia was last seen leaving her Salinas, California apartment on September 22, 2022. Later that day, Arelie’s bright red Honda Accord was found abandoned in Big Sur on Highway 1. Dateline’s Josh Mankiewicz speaks with her sisters Veronica Garcia and Elizet Mendoza, and Detective Arras Wilson of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. Arelie is 5’5” and about 150 lbs. She has brown hair and brown eyes. When she was last seen, she was wearing a black hoodie, black leggings, and sneakers. Anyone with information about her case is asked to call Detective Edwin Cruz with the Salinas Police Department at 831-758-7393 or the anonymous tip line at 831-775-4222. Get more information and see pictures of Arelie Garcia here: https://www.nbcnews.com/datelinemissing This episode was originally published on July 16 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hear an exclusive audio excerpt from NBC News and Dateline producer Dan Slepian’s new book “The Sing Sing Files” which chronicles his two-decade journey navigating the criminal justice system to help free six innocent men. Available now wherever books and audiobooks are sold. For more details and to purchase, follow this link:https://bit.ly/TheSingSingFilesDateline Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In August of 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo grants JJ executive clemency. Three weeks later, JJ steps out of Sing Sing a free man. But he wasn’t exonerated. In the eyes of the law, he was still a convicted felon. Within the first 24 hours of his release, JJ needs to check in with the parole office. He has a curfew. He has to get permission to travel out of state. As he likes to say, he’s freer, but not free.Soon after his release, JJ gets a job at the Frederick Douglass Project. He’s invited to give talks, run workshops. His life is focused on connecting people on the outside with those on the inside. And unbelievably, his work leads to a meeting with the President of the United States.This episode was originally published on March 27, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2017, JJ finally gets some good news. After years of denials and setbacks, he would appear before a judge for the first time since his conviction. A new judge would determine whether JJ’s rights were violated when the prosecutor at his trial withheld police reports related to his case – reports that, 10 months earlier, had arrived in Dan’s mailbox.But the judge ultimately denies JJ’s request for a new trial. Dan and JJ are devastated. JJ explores other avenues for getting released. He applies for clemency, but year after year, the governor passes him over. Then, in 2020, the pandemic hits. The world stops. And JJ experiences the pandemic behind bars.This episode was originally published on March 27, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

By 2015, JJ had been locked up for nearly 18 years. His mom, Maria, drives to Sing Sing to visit him on his 40th birthday and reflects on how much it hurts to watch him age in prison.In the last decade, JJ has built a rich life in prison in order to survive. He talks about his involvement in the prison’s programs, like organizing fundraisers and leading workshops. He was even elected by the prison’s population to speak for them when issues came up. He says this work has given him purpose, but it also helps distract him from the trauma of being incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit.While all of this is happening, JJ’s older son, Jon, gets into more trouble. He’s arrested on charges of burglary. He hides out in a motel room, and Dan goes to check on him there.Dan also follows up on old and new leads in JJ’s case. And then one day, he gets a yellow envelope in the mail.This episode was originally published on March 20, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s been eight months since Dan’s investigation into JJ’s case aired on Dateline. When he visits JJ at Sing Sing, JJ is frustrated—he thought he’d be out by now. But the Manhattan DA is looking into his case. In 2010, Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance created a conviction integrity unit focused on investigating claims of innocence. Bob Gottlieb and Celia Gordon, JJ’s lawyers, are confident that this unit will determine that he was wrongfully convicted.Meanwhile, Bob and Celia hear from a woman who claims she and a friend know Mustafa: the NYPD’s “primary target” for the murder of Al Ward. Dan follows up on this lead and travels to Seattle, where he interviews both women. They tell him their friend Mustafa confessed to killing Al Ward. Dan tracks down this Mustafa, and in a tense interview, tries to determine whether this man is the real killer.This episode was originally published on March 13, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dan tracks down Juror Number Six: Ramon Aviles. Ramon remembers the moment when the 84-year-old eyewitness, Dorothy Canady, pointed him out as the shooter. He says he was shocked and that people were laughing. The juror breaks down what he remembers from the deliberation room and ultimately admits he might have made a mistake in voting to convict JJ.Dan starts to wonder if other jurors from JJ’s trial would feel the same way. He meets up with a different juror and when she sees Dan, she immediately starts to cry. She says she felt pressured by some of the other jurors to convict JJ because they were sequestered and wanted to go home. More than decade later, she believes she ruined JJ’s life.Dan is stunned. He’s building a compelling case for JJ’s innocence, but there’s still one more person he needs to talk to: JJ’s alleged accomplice, the man with the duct tape, Derry Daniels. Dan visits Daniels, who refuses to talk to him, but Dan is now certain that JJ did not get a fair trial. He sits down with Barry Scheck, co-founder of the Innocence Project, to talk through the case. Barry explains how eyewitness accounts can be unreliable.This episode was originally published on March 6, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It turns out, back in 1998, just days after the crime, the NYPD had a main suspect for the murder of Al Ward: a man named Mustafa. Dan tries to find out more about Mustafa and understand why this lead was dropped after JJ’s name entered the case. He also learns that JJ’s legal team had a court-assigned private investigator. Dan tracks down that private investigator, and discovers that he hardly looked into JJ’s case. He didn’t know about Mustafa and he never interviewed the eyewitnesses to the murder of Al Ward.So Dan decides to do what the private investigator didn’t do – investigate JJ’s case. In the summer of 2009, Dan finds Augustus Brown, the key witness, the man who first identified JJ. He’s incarcerated at the Elmira Correctional Facility in upstate New York. Dan pays him a visit.This episode was originally published on February 27, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

JJ Velazquez claimed he had an alibi: a 74-minute phone call on a landline with his mother, Maria Velazquez, that overlapped with the time of the crime. So Dan visits Maria. She lives in a town in New York on the Hudson River directly across from Sing Sing, the maximum security prison where her son is incarcerated. Maria talks to Dan about JJ’s childhood. And she recounts in detail her memory of January 27th, 1998, the day of Al Ward’s murder.Meanwhile, Dan is still familiarizing himself with JJ’s case file. There are thousands of pages of documents that sit in a box by his desk. He starts to work his way through the trial transcript. Immediately, it’s clear to him that the trial was strange. As Dan unpacks what happened in the courtroom, he’s left with more questions than answers. Prosecutors say five people identified JJ as the man who killed Al Ward. Dan decides to find them.This episode was originally published on February 20, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In December of 2002, NBC News Producer Dan Slepian got a letter from a New York State maximum security prison. It was detailed and meticulous, almost like it had been written by a lawyer. It was from a man serving 25 years to life for murder. And it ended with a desperate plea: look into my case.In 1998, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez was arrested for killing a retired New York City police officer. A year later, he was convicted of second degree murder. But he insisted he didn’t do it. Dan was skeptical. Prosecutors said five eyewitnesses had sworn JJ was the killer. Could five people be wrong?So Dan pays JJ a visit. And at the end of it, JJ gives Dan a challenge: prove me guilty.This episode was originally published on February 20, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Josh Mankiewicz and Dan Slepian discuss the issues of wrongful convictions in front of a live audience at the CrimeCon conference in New Orleans. This episode was originally published on September 2, 2019. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s been more than 20 years since Richard Rosario was convicted of a murder he says he could not possibly have committed. If he didn’t do it, who did? And what’s next for Rosario and his family? This is the final episode of Dan Slepian’s 3-year investigation. This episode was originally published on May 16, 2019. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Suddenly, a change that could breathe new life into Richard Rosario’s bid for freedom. Dan Slepian speaks to the woman who could make all the difference. This episode was originally published on May 16, 2019 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After two decades with their father behind bars, Richard Rosario’s family has new hope that he may be set free. After an emotional prison visit, a court is about to decide if it is time for this family to be finally reunited.This episode was originally published on May 16, 2019. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Talking to a murder victim’s family is a tough thing to do, but Dan Slepian needs to find out more information about Jorge Collazo in his search for the truth. Collazo’s sister tells Dan she’ll never forget the day her little brother was killed. And, she reveals a surprise about what happened just two weeks before the murder – a lead that could have been critical.This episode was originally published on May 16, 2019. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Did anyone fully investigate Richard Rosario’s alibi? Dan Slepian tracks down detectives, lawyers and an eyewitness to the murder – and gets some shocking answers to that question.This episode was originally published on May 16, 2019. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The murder case against Richard Rosario was based on two eyewitnesses. But Rosario claims there are more than a dozen people who can prove he was nowhere near the scene of the crime. Dan Slepian packs his bags and heads to Florida to speak with some of those alibi witnesses. Along the way, he also meets Rosario’s wife and two children.This episode was originally published on May 16, 2019. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Is Richard Rosario an innocent man? Or is he a murderer? Dan Slepian begins his investigation at a prison in upstate New York, and at the scene of the crime in the Bronx. This episode was originally published on May 16, 2019. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Women who’d been targeted by Kristi’s killer fight for justice, and one of them confronts him face-to-face. This episode was originally published on April 11, 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A trial comes to a surprising conclusion.This episode was originally published on April 9, 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After a tip line is established in Kristi’s case, calls come in from other women who describe terrifying encounters with a predator.This episode was originally published on April 4, 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Detectives interview a suspect even as they search for Kristi.This episode was originally published on April 2, 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Investigators search for a mystery man who promises young women fame and fortune.This episode was originally published on March 26, 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kristi Johnson vanishes after heading into the Hollywood Hills for a photo shoot.This episode was originally published on March 26, 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A verdict, a twist, and a pastor’s new calling.This episode was originally published on December 19, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Prophecy and proof take center stage as a murder trial begins....This episode was originally published on December 14, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A wife comes clean, a witness comes forward and new facts come out.This episode was originally published on December 12, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Forbidden relationships cause regrets… and suspicions.This episode was originally published on December 5, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A fatal fire, a needy pastor, and a chilling premonition.This episode was originally published on December 5, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ebenezer Scrooge awakens in his home on Christmas morning to find he has a second chance. He joyfully makes amends with all those around him and even becomes a father figure to Tiny Tim. This episode was originally published on December 11, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Ghost of Christmas Future reveals the appalling events that will happen if Scrooge doesn’t become a kinder man. Tiny Tim will die, and so will Scrooge, though no one will mourn him. Scrooge begs the Ghost for a chance to put things right. This episode was originally published on December 11, 2023 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge how Christmas should be celebrated – with joy and giving, even when you are poor, like Scrooge’s own kindly clerk Bob Cratchit. This episode was originally published on December 11, 2023 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Ghost of Christmas Past visits Scrooge and takes him back to his own childhood. He’s reminded that he was shown kindness as a young man, and had even been in love, before his greed took over. This episode was originally published on December 11, 2023 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas with a passion. To him, it’s all a waste of time and money. But when he’s visited by the ghost of his dead business partner, the equally greedy Jacob Marley, Scrooge begins to understand the error of his ways. This episode was originally published on December 11, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Things with Katrina don’t go the way Ichabod Crane had hoped. As he rides home, stories of local ghosts haunt his thoughts. Panicked, he gallops off into the night, only to encounter the most terrifying sight of all – the Headless Horseman himself!This episode was originally published on October 23, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ichabod Crane has fallen hard for Katrina. At a big party at the Van Tassel home, the two dance all night as jealous Brom stews in the corner. By night’s end, Ichabod prepares to profess his love.This episode was originally published on October 23, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New school teacher Ichabod Crane wastes no time getting to know everyone in town, especially the rich and beautiful Katrina Van Tassel. The only problem is, Katrina has another suitor – the dashing Brom Bones.This episode was originally published on October 23, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dateline Originals – your podcast destination to discover and binge more than a dozen true crime mini-series told as only Dateline can. Includes award winning series like “The Thing About Pam,” “Mommy Doomsday,” “Motive for Murder” and so many more. Follow now to listen to Dateline Originals completely free. Or subscribe to Dateline Premium on Apple Podcasts for ad-free listening: apple.co/DatelinePremium Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nearly 13 years to the day after Nona’s murder, a woman has a chilling encounter with a predator in the night.This episode was originally published on October 12, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A new suspect says he has an alibi, but can he prove it?This episode was originally published on October 10, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A jury holds the fate of Nona’s boyfriend in its hands.This episode was originally published on October 5, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When police name a suspect, the court of public opinion all but convicts him.This episode was originally published on October 3, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Investigators focus on a man with Nona’s blood on his hands.This episode was originally published on September 26, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The murder of 19-year-old Nona Dirksmeyer shakes the community of Russellville, Arkansas to its core.This episode was originally published on September 26, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A big decision. New theories. And a mystery man revealed.This episode was originally published on April 11, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

An attorney and his son undertake a new review of the evidence in Michelle’s murder and get a surprise opportunity to make their case to prosecutors.This episode was originally published on April 4, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After three trials, a verdict. But a Dateline viewer could change everything…This episode was originally published on March 28, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A retired sheriff’s deputy sees Michelle O’Keefe’s smiling face on a billboard and asks to join the investigation.This episode was originally published on March 21, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Police investigating Michelle O’Keefe’s murder encounter a talkative witness. Maybe too talkative.This episode was originally published on March 14, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

She loved her shiny blue Mustang. Then it became a crime scene.This episode was originally published on March 14, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.