The Guardian today launched a new US podcast, Off Duty, examining how the brutal murder of a Chicago police officer, Clifton Lewis, spiraled into a sweeping 12-year legal odyssey, one that lays bare gaping cracks in the criminal legal system.
As pressure mounted from police brass and the city at large to bring Lewis’s killers to justice, detectives ultimately found four suspects; three confess – but the fourth, Alexander Villa, refuses to break, pitting him against a system that’s unwilling to admit it might be wrong.
As he fights his case, allegations of misconduct across the legal system soon follow: claims of grueling police interrogations that sent three suspects to the hospital and prosecutors failing to turn over critical evidence. Digital forensics is called into question as two determined defense attorneys unearth evidence that could have spared Villa his fate.
The seven-episode series not only raises urgent questions on why Chicago, one of America’s largest and most progressive cities, can’t seem to fix its notorious criminal legal system but explores just how determined police and prosecutors – and perhaps all of us – are to defend their version of the truth.
Off Duty is reported by the Guardian’s senior US investigative reporter Melissa Segura, winner of the 2018 George Polk Award for her investigation on the Chicago police department for BuzzFeed News. The limited series – part of the Guardian Investigates, home for all of the Guardian’s award-winning narrative podcasts and investigations – is commissioned by the Guardian’s global head of multimedia Nicole Jackson and US head of investigations Michael Hudson. It is executive produced by Joshua Kelly and Kat Aaron in conjunction with the executive editor, Joel Lovell, and producer, Ben Goldberg. An accompanying text story is also available on the Guardian’s US website.
Melissa Segura, host of Off Duty and senior US investigative reporter for the Guardian, said:
“I’ve reported on the Chicago Police Department for years but this investigation feels bigger than just one city and just one case. It’s a story that asks the most urgent question in the Trump era: What happens when our institutions and safeguards fail? Off Dutyis a deeply human examination of what those institutional shortcomings mean for our communities, particularly the most vulnerable.”
Joshua Kelly, executive producer of Off Dutyand executive producer of Guardian Investigates, said:
“What makes Off Duty so captivating is the way Melissa’s reporting peels back layer after layer – challenging audiences on what they think they know about guilt, accountability and the reliability of the system itself. The series reflects the Guardian’s commitment to deeply reported audio journalism that is as rigorous as it is compelling and intimate.”
Listen to Off Duty on the Guardian’s website or wherever you get your podcasts. All seven episodes are available now.
About the Guardian
The Guardian is a global, reader-funded news organization committed to high-quality journalism, progressive values and editorial independence. Founded in 1821, the Guardian is renowned for its rigorous reporting and commentary on politics, the environment, social justice, sports, wellness and culture geared for a global audience.
In the US, the Guardian has more than 100 editorial staff members across its bureaus in New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles. Its agenda-setting journalism draws an audience of more than 40 million US readers every month, making it one of the top news sites in America. The Guardian’s US newsroom has been recognized with several awards, including the George Polk Award, Scripps Howard Award, Edward R Murrow Award and the Pulitzer Prize.
Media Contact
Matt Mittenthal
Head of communications, US, the Guardian
matt.mittenthal@theguardian.com