1819: The Wrongful Murder Conviction of the Boorn Brothers

You were listening to one nation under crime criminological, true crime podcast. Each week we go through our nation's history and discuss one case for me each year, starting in 1800. I'm Kayla and I'm Leanne. And we're officially legal to drink in the U S why don't we handle gnosis or something? Oh, I did have champagne. I mean, we could do, like, it's never too late anyway, but yes, we are in episode 21 in the year, 1819, which makes me happy. 

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Cause there's a sequential number and we got an interesting one this week. We got a, this one's got a twist, like a Swiss. It is very interesting. Yeah, Leah, cause I mean, we've talked about it before, but Leah doesn't know what we're going to cover when we cover it. So she doesn't know what direction the story is going. So it should be a, should be some interesting reactions as to how those cases. Of course I'm a little tired, but I don't know. You'll you'll, you'll be invested. It's very interesting. 

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So our sources for this week are the west minster detective library, which I just find fun and the Northwestern school of law. So we are covering this week. America's first wrongful murder conviction, wrongful murder can yes. Wrongful murder conviction. So we'll get into the events in 18, 19, January 2nd, we discussed it in the last episode. But January 2nd is when the panic of 1819 began. This is the first major financial crisis in the United States. 

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We'll talk about that in our last episode, that was when the bank decided we need everything. Now, when everybody went, nah, fam we're not giving it back. Now we, we borrowed it. January 25th, Thomas Jefferson founded the university of Virginia February 2nd, the Supreme court under John Marshall ruled in favor of Dartmouth college in the famous Dartmouth college versus Woodward case, which allowed Dartmouth to keep its charter and remain a private institution. February 15th, the United States house of representatives agreed to the Talmudge amendment, barring slaves from the new state of Missouri. 

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This is the opening vote in a controversy that leads to the Missouri compromise. But this was basically saying that Missouri is a new state and you're not allowed to bring slaves into the state. So this is kind of when more of that people were kind of putting their foot down as, as people were moving into those areas. So February 22nd, Spain ceded, Florida to the United States by the Adams onus treaty signed in Washington, DC March 1st, the us Naval vessel, the USS Columbus was launched in Washington, DC, March 2nd, the Arkansas territory tear tear Arkansas territory was created March six, the McCullough McCullough McCulloch versus Maryland. 

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00:03:47

The us Supreme court ruled that the bank of the United States was constitutional. Hmm. Apparently there's argument that it was not. I'm assuming that has to deal with the panic of 1819 May 22nd. The USS Savannah left port at Savannah, Georgia on a voyage to become the first steam ship to cross the Atlantic ocean. The ship arrived at Liverpool, England on June 20th. So it took just less than a month for it to get there. June 22nd, the NACA dosas and NACA dosas, you know that Texas Dr. 

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James Long, and his force of 195 men declared a new government with long as the president and a 21 member Supreme council. This was the we'll talk about it in the next bullet, but June 23rd, James Long issued a declaration of independence for his quote Republic of Texas. There you go. And this is known as the long Republic to avoid confusion also later with the Republic of Texas. So anyways, the document was based on the United States, declaration of independence and cited grievances, including Spanish rap rapacity and odious tyranny, promising religious freedom, freedom of the press and free trade. 

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July 4th, the Arkansas territory became effective. August six, Norwhich university was founded by captain Alden Partridge in Vermont as the first private military school in the United States, August, August 24th, same, you'll see more sketched, a Kansas lodge and war dance at the present location of Manhattan, Kansas. While part of Stephen Harriman, longs exploring party. This work is known as the oldest drawing to be made in the state of Kansas. 

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November 3rd, the USS Congress commanded by captain John D Henley became the first warship to visit China. It landed at Linton island off the coast of Canton. And one of the facts that Leah loves to know what happened December 14th of 18, 19, Alabama became a state. There you go. Gosh, she's been holding onto that one since the beginning. What state number was it? 20 something, 22, 20 second. There you go. 22. 

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And then 1819 was when the African slave trade patrol was founded to stop the slave trade on the coast of west Africa. So they were literally there to patrol to make sure that no one brought any more slaves over to really anything in north America. So we will go onto our births in a year of 18, 19, February 23rd. You have George Smith cook. He is an early American photographer known for being the first to take a photograph of combat during a war he's Pisces, March 29th, Edwin Drake. 

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That's a good name. It is a good name. AKA Colonel Drake was the first American to drill successfully for oil and he's Aires. This one just gives me nostalgic nostalgic feelings. May 31st. Walt Whitman is born poet, S a S and journalist who wrote captain? My captain. I feel as though I should stand up on a desk. Oh gosh. If you all have not which trigger warning for anybody who does not quite recall dead poet society, why they showed that to us in school is beyond me. 

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00:08:07

I didn't show it to them school. Yeah, we watched it. And you literature classes either way. I think it came out when I was in school. That'd be why either way. Fantastic movie fantastic with the late great Robin Williams. And one of the most famous scenes is when they fire. I mean, guys, this movie's been out forever when they fire Robin Williams from the school, because they don't think that he's teaching them properly because he's teaching at an all boys boarding boarding school and they fire him and he was teaching the students, you know, about Walt Whitman, oh, captain my captain. 

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00:08:49

And they all start standing up on their desks and saying, captain my captain, one of the best cinematic moments of all time, if you have not seen that movie, stop this podcast right this second and go wash dead poet's society, trigger warning for a few things in that movie. Again, don't know why they showed it to us in school, but a trigger warning for suicide. If you watched that movie, just be, just be aware, still fantastic movie, all about a boarding school and a teacher who was just amazing. 

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00:09:29

Well, they really, really loved his city, such a good, such a good, good. I've also read one of those things that it's like people's interactions with actors on set. And one of the actors who was in dead poet's society, like he was, this was the first movie he ever made. And he was talking about how Robin Williams was so kind to him. And in which Robin Williams, I share a birthday with him. Yes, we're both cancers. I think our birthdays are a few days off from one another, but he's also a cancer. So anyways, Walt Whitman was a Gemini, such a good movie though. 

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00:10:11

Anybody just go wash dead poet's society. It is one of my top five favorite movies, August 1st Herman Melville. And if you have watched the movie Matilda, you should know this name because Herman Melville was a novelist, short story writer and poet who wrote Moby Dick. And I said, disgusting, what are they having you reading in school? And that's from Matilda. Yes. Matilda such a good, such a good movie. And miss honey was amazing. I loved Ms. Honey, author of Matilda is also the author of Charlie and the chocolate factory. Sure. Itches and BFG. Yes. 

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00:10:52

Very, very good movie. Very terrifying movie also, but because of Mrs <inaudible> but very good movie, but yeah, I always, she always, she has we're reading Moby Dick by Herman Melville. So what I always remember that name. So then August her immobile was a Leo, August 29th. Also Leo William TG, Morton was born. He is the pioneer of anesthesia. He's the first to publicly demonstrate the use of inhaled ether as a surgical anesthetic. 

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00:11:35

We talked about Horace Wells who was born in 1815, and he was also a pioneer of anesthesia, but Horace Wells and William Morton shared a dentist practice together for a short period of time. And Horace Wells is most known for the use of laughing gas instead of actual like ether to put someone to sleep for anesthesia. And if y'all listened to our case on the disappearance, the USS per VA, then you also know that nobody knows how anesthesia works and it's a bit spit terrifying. Anyway, I've never had anesthesia. 

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00:12:18

You've never been put to sleep, not like wisdom teeth or anything like that. I've never had 

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00:12:22

The only, the only procedure I've had is when they took the mole off of my 

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00:12:26

Forehead. Oh yeah, I am. And that's the only 

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Thing I've ever had and they just numbed. It was just local anesthetic, just so I didn't feel them cutting my flesh. 

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00:12:35

I was, I was, I was put to sleep when they took my wisdom teeth out and then because they had to like cut them out and then, oh, and when I had that endoscopy last year, which I got to schedule that again for this year, anyways, fun times they put me that was trippy failing. Oh, waking up from that. I still remember talking to my nurse when I woke up. But yeah, it was, it was, it was a fun day. It was, it was funny. So October 2nd, this is the name <inaudible> right there. 

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<inaudible> she is an American business woman who managed to the famous restaurant, the Mount Vernon in Charleston, South Carolina, which was known for being the first place in Charleston, which explicitly catered to female customers. She was a Libra then Mon December 26th, the day after Christmas, this is a name. If you thought that was a name, this is a name. That's not a name. This is the name. Emma Dorothy, Eliza niblet Southworth. 

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00:14:05

Well, there you go. 

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00:14:05

Was she very high society? 

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She w and she actually went by her first four initials, which spelled out Eden love. So she was eaten southward. I love it. Even though it was Emma, Dorothy, Elizabeth Nova. I love it. She was an American writer who wrote more than 60 novels during her lifetime at this point. And she was one of the most popular novelists of her day. She was a Capricorn and onto the deaths of 18, 19 February. Oh, she, that means she likes you. It was a left nip. It was love. Now I always have to warn my daughter, Ellie, because Claire, the cat, she likes to lick and then bite, like she does a few licks and then a bite. 

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00:14:54

And I have to warn Ellie like, Hey, she could do that. And she's not being mean, like, it's, it's a love thing, but yeah, she's lived nip weirdo, February 5th, Hannah van Buren, wife of Martin van Buren. The eighth president of the United States died April 15th, Oliver Evans. I is one of the first Americans building steam engines and an advocate of high pressure steam, and one of the most prolific and influential influential inventors in the early years of the United States May 22nd. 

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Whew. Well actually, we'll go through all three of these. So all three of these men were founding fathers and they all died in 18, 19 may. 22nd was Hugh Williamson. September 18th was John Lyndon. And October 7th was William Samuel Johnson. All three of them were founding fathers all died in the same year. So we'll get on to our case this week, September 3rd of 18, 19 a grand jury found a bill of indictment against Steven and Jesse born for the murder of Russell Colvin. Stephen was set to hang on January 28th, 1820, and Jessie's sentence was reduced to life in prison. 

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Our story this week takes place in Manchester, Vermont. It is located in the Southwest portion of Vermont and Bennington county. The county was originally chartered in 1761 by Benning Wentworth, who at the time was the colonial governor of New Hampshire. The town was named for Robert Montague, the third duke of Manchester, which is just weird because it's just called Manchester. But whatever the town was first settled in 1764, and the land was much better for grazing than forming. So by 1839, there were 6,000 sheep roaming the area. 

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00:17:00

And there were other industries that thrived in the area such as iron mines, marble quarries, mills, and lumber companies. After the civil war, the town became an affluent resort area and actually still remains to this day that as well, Orvis is one of the companies that originated in Manchester. You might know that name. It specializes in high-end fly fishing and hunting equipment. If you look up Orvis and you see their logo, you know the name, it was one of those things that when I saw it, I was like, God, that sounds really familiar. The company was founded in 1856 by Charles F Orvis. 

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00:17:42

And it is the oldest mail order retailer in the United States. They are still a company to this day, BS they're, high-end fly fishing and hunting equipment Orvis. Let's see Jake Burton carpenter. He was the founder of Burton snowboards. He created the perfect snowboard out of his garage in Manchester, where he also operated the company until 1992, before it relocated to Burlington, Vermont, do you find Orvis? Yeah, I didn't recognize it. I think it might be it. I think they're connected to a field and stream. Hmm. I think they're fueled into, it's definitely not bass pro, but I think field and stream is their connection, but yes, Orvis company was there. 

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00:18:30

So notable people from Manchester include Myra. Bradwell the first American woman to become an attorney. Jonathan Goldsmith. He's an actor, but you might know him as the most interesting man in the world from the Doseck east commercials. Robert Todd Lincoln. Who's the first son of Abraham Lincoln, the president. And these are just, I didn't put their names down, but these are all presidents of different colleges. Currently the presidents of union college, John Hopkins, university and Stanford university. 

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00:19:11

Wow. All for Manchester, Vermont. Wow. And Richard treat Williams is from there. He is also an actor who has, he was 

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In every hair. 

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He is most known for his starring role in the 1979 musical film hair. 

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00:19:29

Oh, how funny? But he was in Everwood as well, correct? Yeah. I remember his name treat, 

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00:19:35

Treat Williams. Yes. Because in hair he had a tattoo of a pair of scissors on the bottom of his foot. Hmm. Good movie. By the way, Manchester really became famous between 18, 12 and 1819 because of the born call of, in case known as America's first wrongful conviction, murder case, which is what we are going to get to today. But before we can get to 18, 19, we have to go back to may of 18, 12. Our case begins like many at this time with a family feud as always not the good kind, not, not with like Steve Harvey, my answer. 

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00:20:17

Good answer. Everybody always says it's good. Answer a favorite 

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00:20:20

Name, a word that comes after port 

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00:20:23

Keypad. That is, that is one of the best ones. Cowley. No, it was name a type of port. 

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00:20:38

No, it was a word that comes after port. Cause another answer was long and they didn't know what she was saying. It was lonely. Oh gosh. Okay. Oh goodness. I love a good, a good famous 

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00:20:56

Little skit. 

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00:20:57

Little funny 

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00:20:58

Answers. Okay. Funny Steven and Jesse born had a sister named either Sally or Sarah. Apparently. No one really cared, which is interesting considering what happens later on. But her name was either Sally or Sarah. Maybe Wilma's 

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00:21:14

Her actual name of one was her nickname. 

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00:21:16

I don't, but she married Russell Colvin who was described as quote a half crazed, half witted say laborer. Colvin was also known as deranged dimwitted. And he was known to drink a lot of the time when a lot of people drink a lot at this time. So when a drunk says that you drink a lot, that probably says a bit 

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00:21:40

And they let their sister marry this guy, book it. 

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So it's safe to say that the born brothers didn't really get along with their brother-in-law. The family was described as a bad lot. Wait, 

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00:21:54

So Joe sees a boy, 

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Jesse, I'll let you say 

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00:21:57

Joe C Jesse, Jesse, Jesse. 

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00:22:03

The family was described as a bad lot who were poor ignorant and in doubtful repute for honesty. Oh, 

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They a bunch of liars Who knows dishonor on you, dishonor on your family dishonor when you can. 

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00:22:17

There's a lot of dishonor that goes on in this. Okay. The family had two hovels hovels hovels, which is a small unpleasant, simply constructed dwelling. So like a lean to kind of, not even a shot, not even shack. And they had a few acres of pine. They grew vegetables to get by and they worked for neighboring farmers. It is said that in may of 1812, the brother-in-law Russell Colvin was seen at his home by the next month he was missing month, month. Just keep that in mind. 

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00:23:00

It wasn't too much of a big deal because much like our last episode, Colvin was a bit of a tramp and was known to be away from home for weeks at a time. And I don't think Sally loved him, Sally, Sarah. I don't think she loved him that much, which is really funny because we used to, at our job, we used to deal with somebody whose name was Cindy, but her sign on her email was Sandy. So we always call her Cindy, Sandy. We never, because we didn't know who, which one it was, it was always Cindy, Sandy. So it's funny. Cause she's she's Sally, Sarah. 

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00:23:43

So 

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Do you know what maybe that song was from that? I was 

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00:23:45

Singing. Yes. Go ahead. Sorry. It's lady in the tramp. Yes. Yes. Everyone Chanel lady and the tramp. They should don't. So Colvin had never been gone this long before. And typically when he left, he took his son with him for some unexplained reason. But months passed by and people started to ask questions about what happened to Colvin. It was gossip in a small town and as Leah knows, that spreads like wildfire. I mean, if I don't know what I'm doing, I just got to ask a neighbor. 

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00:24:27

I can tell you everything that happened. I can tell you who was at the grocery store that day, especially where Leah lives. It's a very small town, small Mayberry. So it was gossip in a small town, like I said, and a lot of people knew about this little feud between the borne brothers and Colvin. Because as we said, Calvin, not a great guy. Then people heard that the last time Colin was seen, he was working with the born brothers, clearing some stones in a field and they were arguing stones, argument sealed from there. 

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00:25:10

People started to speculate that the brothers knew more about the disappearance of Colvin than they were letting on. Louis Colvin was the son of Russell Colvin. And I'm assuming this is the son that he used to take with him when he disappeared, but he didn't go with him this time. So he was in the field that day, helping remove stones. And he remembered his father hitting his uncle Steven and then his uncle Steven hit back. Once Lewis saw this altercation between his father and one of his uncles, he got scared and just ran away. I mean, I ain't going to get hit. <inaudible> someone in town asked Steven what happened to Calvin, a man with the last name of Baldwin heard Steven answer, Stephen Baldwin. 

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00:25:55

He's gone to hell. I hope. Well, Mr. Baldwin cut in and asked, is he dead? Stephen, Stephen replied with, I'll tell you again that Calvin has gone where potatoes won't freeze gone or potatoes won't freeze. So Stephen claimed that called it odd response. I mean, not wrong though. Stephen claimed that Calvin was just freeloading off the family and using his sister for some reason or another. That was never explained. I mean, I can guess why you'd use one. But anyways, moving right along seven years passed and we are now up to 18, 19, and nothing really happened as far as looking into what actually happened to Calvin. 

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Nobody really cared. Huh? Then one day Amos born. He was the uncle of the born brothers claimed to see Colvin at his bedside in a recurring dream. He clan of vision. He claimed that Colvin's ghost told him that he had been murdered, but he didn't say who murdered him. Only that his body had been put in a cellar hole in the potato field, on the born farm potatoes potatoes, where the potatoes won't freeze after this, the cellar hole was excavated and they found broken pottery, a button, a pin, a Jack knife, and zero human remains. 

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00:27:28

Then Sally, Sally, Sara, the sister twister and wife of Russell Colvin took a look at the items and said they belonged to her husband. <inaudible> if he's been gone for seven years and he wasn't that great of a husband in the first place, just let it go. Then why would she claim the items were his and try to pin this murder on her brothers possibly because Sally had given birth to a child and it was quite a bit of time after her husband had gone missing a beer. 

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00:28:11

Clearly this child was not her husbands, but at the time by law, it was presumed that a child born to a married woman had been fathered by the husband. Yeah. And had to carry the husband's name. And because of this, Sally, Sarah couldn't obtain child support from the child's actual father. In order for her to be able to get child support, her husband had to be dead. Supposedly she didn't realize when she identified the items as her husband's that her brothers would be the first suspect deer. They said they were dimwitted. I guess they weren't kidding. 

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00:28:53

Soon after the excavation, the sheep barn on the Bourne property mysteriously went up in flames. Then a few days after that a dog, he didn't find a school. This time he dug up a few bone fragments near the borne property in three physicians in the area concluded. They were most likely human Obama, most likely. How does all happen all at the same time as craziness? Oh goodness. These events just fed into the rumor mill. And soon Jesse Bourne was arrested and a warrant was put out for Steven Born's arrest. 

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00:29:38

Steven had moved to Denmark New York two years earlier and had to be found before he could be arrested. While Jesse was in jail. He shared a cell with a forger named Silas Merrill. That's the name, unfortunately for Jesse Merrill, decided to try and help himself out and claimed that Jesse confessed after a visit from Jessie's father Merrill said, Jesse admitted that he hit Colvin during an argument. Then when Jesse's father saw what happened and that Colvin was still alive, small trigger warning, go ahead and skip the father cut Colvin's throat. 

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00:30:22

And then the three men, Jesse Steven and their father buried Colvin in the old cellar hole on the property. Merrill then said that two or three years after the murder, the men dug up the remains and buried them in the barn. And once the fire had destroyed the barn, they moved the bones near the tree stomp. And that was when the dog found them. Nice. Matt all makes sense, right? I mean, fine. It's no surprise that Merrell decided to lie because if he promised to testify against the Warren brothers in court, then he would be released immediately. Oh, well duh, the jailhouse snitch, you know what happens to snitching? 

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00:31:05

Yes. The state's attorney, Calvin Sheldon accepted the deal to release Merrill with his testimony. And Meryl was in fact immediately set free. As we've seen in previous cases, the sentence for murder, typically death and Jessie was terrified to receive a death sentence. And he confessed. He minimized his involvement in the attack and stated that his father had nothing to do with it. The brother's father was actually never charged in the case at all the confession put the blame on his brother, Steven, instead of himself, Jesse thought his brother was safe and not able to be found since he had left years earlier. 

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00:31:56

So thought nobody was really going to get punished for it. Authorities found Steven and he promised to return to Manchester to clear his name in the case. As soon as Jessie heard of his brother's returned, he immediately recanted his confession saying the only confess to save his life as well as his fathers. But it didn't matter that Jesse recanted in the state's eyes because it only made their case stronger in their eyes against the born brothers, just as Jesse feared state's attorney, Sheldon was seeking the death penalty in the case, people started coming out of the woodwork because what have we said happens in a small town and all these people kept saying, oh, I thought I would happen. 

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00:32:47

And they started recalling what they had seen. This was also when people started coming forward and talked about the comments that the borne brothers had made after Colvin went missing, like go into our potatoes. Don't freeze, not smart. Well, Steven didn't learn the lesson that his brother had already failed at and Steven confessed to the murder, but claimed it was only in self defense before the start of the trial, the bones found in the tree stomp were taken to a nearby county and compared with an actual human leg bone that had been amputated. 

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00:33:31

Interesting. It was very clear that the bones found on the born farm were not human bones. As previously stated the bones were from an animal. But since the physicians had already said that the bones were human previously, this is what everybody continued to believe. So there were major problems with the confessions of the two as well, such as the fact that no one could have corroborate any of the facts. 

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00:34:12

And that Steven wrote his confession out eloquently and very precisely, which is a miracle for someone with almost no formal education and who was described as someone with very low intelligence, less it, oh goodness. It's more likely that Steven's defense attorneys, Richard Skinner and Leonard Sergeant. Those are some attorney names were the ones who wrote the confession because they assumed that their client was guilty so much for a defense attorney. Then there's the fact that they started the entire investigation based on a dream that Amos born supposedly had. 

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00:35:00

Well, the trial began on September 3rd of 18, 19, and the jury found a bill of indictment against Steven and Jesse born for the murder of Russell Calden William Farnsworth was a man who testified. And he said that Steven confessed that he did it. And Jesse helped him hide the body in a nearby Bush. Ask me if there's any proof. Hey Kayla. Yes, Liam. Is there any proof of this? No. Given all the other evidence and testimony that they had received, they went ahead and sentenced the men to hang on January 28th of 18, 20 oh ma. 

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00:35:50

Oh, ma the two men said that they only confessed as their last hope and that this actually did garner some sympathy for them. A petition for their pardon was presented to the legislature. But it didn't pardon? The brothers, all it was able to do was commute. Jesse sentenced to life in prison instead of death. And Steven was still sentenced to hang on January 28th, 1820. Wow. And that's the end of our story, right? No, there's more like, I need you to, I need, I, I need you to try and guess what happens next? 

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00:36:31

I need to know what Lee, his actual body is found. Okay. And the wife done it. Okay. So we got to go back to April of 18, 13, James Paul hummus from Dover, New Jersey, New Jersey. We are currently in Vermont. Sure, sure. Was working as land when a weary traveler stopped and begged for food. The traveler was handy. Seemingly good natured, quiet and obedient. And because of this, the man was welcome to stay for a period of time to help him get back on his feet. 

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00:37:13

The man said his name was Russell Colvin from Manchester, Vermont. Will you say nice, fast forward again. And we are with a man whose name. This is a pretty sweet name, actually Taber, Chadwick, interesting tapers and interesting name taper like saber with a Tabor. I like it. And Tabor just happened to be friends with James Palomas. Who's the one who took in Colvin. Chadwick was reading the New York evening post and he read the account of the born brothers trial Chadwick was convinced the Russell Colvin taken in by his brother-in-law, who was his. 

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00:38:00

He was friends with was the same that the brothers were accused of murdering. So he wrote a letter to the evening post and it was published on December 9th of 18, 19. This is after the case, after everything happened just a little bit over a month and a half before Steven was sentenced to behind those in Manchester, saw the letter published in the paper, but they weren't phased by it. They assumed it must be fraud or it's gotta be a forgery. There should, there's probably plenty of people named Russell Colvin. After all somebody could have just said that he was Russell coffin. Right? Right. I mean, who knows after all the brothers were found guilty by a judge and a jury. 

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00:38:46

So, and they confessed, they couldn't have gotten it wrong. Right. And they, they confessed to it. I mean, that's the thing. So no one had any doubt of their guilt still am and stupid man still didn't prevent Steven from hearing about the letter. And one of the jailers read it to Steven while he was in his cell. Because keep in mind, Stephen also could not read. So how could he write his own confession? Stephen drops to the ground fainting immediately and came to once cold water was finally thrown on his face. Another letter came the next day from a man with the last name of <inaudible>, who was a former resident of Manchester. 

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00:39:31

Vermont woefully claimed that he had seen Colvin with his own eyes in New Jersey as well. The members of the jury got a little antsy and they were still hesitant to accept any of it. The judge pointed to Steven's confession as proof of the crime. And they tried to just keep moving on. Well, another letter came OBA from Wellesley and a man named John Kempton, which said, quote, I have Russell called in with me. I personally know Russell in. He now stands before me. 

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00:40:11

It is the same Russell Colvin who married, they call her. And so now she's Sarah, Sally Ann borne of Manchester, Vermont. But because they called her Anne, they didn't think it was the right person. Oh, ma the sentence of the brothers still stood. People started to believe that Colvin must have a twin somewhere. And there's no way. This is the real Colvin. That's what it is. There's a twin. I mean, Colvin's dead. Right? Sarah, Sally Ann said that all those things in the cellar hole were her husbands, right? 

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00:40:52

So he's dead. Gotta be, he's gone. He has kids. He has kids. I mean, he's gone because no man has ever walked out on his family. Right then Russell called in himself was seen walking down the streets in Poughkeepsie, New York, people were in shock after all, they were seeing a ghost and new started to spread quickly. Every newspaper in the tri-state area had stories about Colvin. 

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00:41:33

And in Albany, he was put up on a stand in front of the town for all to see that it was in fact, Russell Colvin. Some people become famous when they die. Right. And Colvin was becoming famous simply because he was alive. Well, December 22nd of 18, 19, just few days over a month before Senate's to hang a double slay was driven down the main street in Manchester, Vermont to the Tavern door. The sleigh contained Wellesley Kempton, Chadwick and Russell Colvin. 

0  

00:42:16

People gathered around to see if it was in fact, the quote, real Colvin. Cause still everyone thought this was a hoax. And someone said, that's Russell Colvin. Sure enough. There's no doubt about it. Colvin embraced his children and then headed for the jail. The prison doors were opened and Steven borne heard the news of Colvin's return. Reverend liminal Haynes said call than has come. Stephen. Stephen said Hassey where is he from behind him? 

0  

00:42:57

He heard here I am Steven what's them on your legs, Steven or applied shackles. Calvin said what for Stephen said, because they said our murdered you well, and Colvin said, you never hurt me in your life. Steven and Jesse born were released from prison and Colvin returned to New Jersey. And that is the first wrongful murder conviction of the United States. 

0  

00:43:39

That is crazy. That is crazy. I mean, first of all, did the Dumbos confessed to it? So I have a theory on a lot of confessions when stuff like this is still pressured. I mean, even today we still have people that confess to murders and crimes that they didn't do. If I know a lot of people out there are true crime documentary buffs. So you've seen making a murderer and that's still a case that's going on now, which is a case in the U S where basically they had them confess to murder and they didn't, they didn't do it. 

0  

00:44:24

There's also the west Memphis three that one of them confessed said that they did it. And none of, they actually had proof that none of them could have been there at that time. Didn't prevent them from serving death sentences on death row for over 20 years. But you know, they're out now, but yeah, so it happens a lot. A lot of people confess falsely to a crime that they didn't commit. A lot of times it's a bunch of different things. It really depends on what the police are telling you at that time. And you're 

1  

00:44:57

In a state of, 

0  

00:44:59

And if you're not real intelligent, it's not unheard of that. You would go. This is the only way I, I don't know what else to do. I can't, I've said it I've said I haven't done it. What else can I do? 

1  

00:45:14

I know you can be pressured into thinking, well, you know, maybe I did, or that's the only way I can get you to speak, to 

0  

00:45:21

Leave me alone. Well, and you've got physicians that say that the bones that they found were human the first time, second time, they're not human. You have all these people. I mean, you made a comment saying that he went were potatoes. Don't freeze. Yeah. So w like, what, what do you do with that? And odd 

1  

00:45:41

Comment by 

0  

00:45:42

The way it is. And then still the man's still missing. And it's been seven years, like at some point, and then Sarah, Sally Ann is sitting there saying those are though that's my husband's stuff. Just because she got knocked up by some guy and she needs, 

1  

00:46:01

Or it could be your husband's stuff. But I mean, stuff gets left and seller stuff gets, you know, I mean, buttons or whatever can come off of clothing. 

0  

00:46:09

It is just, there's no way to know whose is whose stuff. I mean, and if it's been down in a seller for seven years, I mean, then you have somebody who decides to become a jailhouse snitch. What they wish. They never said what happened to him. I'm assuming he was still out. 

1  

00:46:26

Maybe he got stitches. I don't know. 

0  

00:46:29

You still have him out there flipping around saying that, oh, Jesse confessed to me. And so now somebody's coming to you saying, oh, we heard you confess. So then what do you do? You're like, yeah, I can either try and confess and maybe not get the death penalty. Right. Or I can say that I'm innocent. Still get the death penalty or hope that something happens because I have no clue what happened to Russell coffin. He's just gone. And I guess that's what they decided to go with. 

1  

00:47:13

That's craziness, craziness. 

0  

00:47:16

And then three people write letters saying, no, no, he's right here in front of me. 

1  

00:47:23

I see him. I'm looking at him. 

0  

00:47:26

And they were like, no, you don't. It's not him. I don't know. I don't know who that is, but it's not him. That's why 

1  

00:47:35

Thankful for modern technology. Like, you know, have a video call. Look, you see me, you see him, you see me, you see him. 

0  

00:47:43

We'd still go. It's been seven years, guys. Appearance could change. So he may not even look like a hundred percent, the same person. So they'd be like testing, 

1  

00:47:54

Swab his mouth. Y'all swab his mouth fingerprint. 

0  

00:48:00

He has never seen clearly the documentary, the imposter. Oh, shut up. Well, it was about a guy who said he was a missing child and they did tests and everything on this missing quote, missing child, the missing child was supposed to be like 16, 17. At that point, the main was actually like 32, who was saying he was the 17 year old. And the family was like, this is not our kid. And the police were like, just try them out for a little bit. Just try 

1  

00:48:34

Them out. We try ULI. 

0  

00:48:37

And it turns out that this guy had like, tried to, he it's called the documentary, the imposter, because he had tried before to like say he was other missing people. And yeah, it was a, quite the roller coaster of emotions. Sad. 

1  

00:48:54

So 

0  

00:48:56

It happens. I mean, a lot of people confess to things that they didn't do. There's so many cases out there, a false confession. 

1  

00:49:04

It just makes me sad. 

0  

00:49:06

Well, I just think that what's funny is that Russell's like, Hey, what's going on? What are, what are 

1  

00:49:14

When you got them on there? 

0  

00:49:17

But that just killed me because they say I'm murdered. You know, that's like the best line, but well you did. And I'm right here. I want to know what Sally, Sarah Ann is sitting there thinking when her husband just strolls back up into town. And then he went back to New Jersey. 

1  

00:49:37

Did he stop by and say, I 

0  

00:49:39

Mean, it says that he hugged his children, but didn't say anything about her. No, I mean, so what, what about, what about her? Yeah, but now he just went back to New Jersey where, so did he have like another family in New Jersey? Wonder Why did he leave? Just the pressures of marriage and life too much. You just decided to up and leave. Maybe 

1  

00:50:07

Brothers-in-law were, were main. And he was afraid they were going to beat him up. 

0  

00:50:12

Well, but that's the thing he said, you never hurt me before in your life. 

1  

00:50:17

Maybe he was afraid. They were Buena. 

0  

00:50:20

People are crazy. They are crazy. But I mean, just to imagine this guy strolling up the street and everybody's like, Ooh, did you see that ghost? It's pretty funny. I mean, so insane. Just like different stories that happened in that time and how they ended up figuring out like, oh no, no, no, no, no. You have, you have the wrong guy. And they're like, no, we were pretty sure we have the right guys. No, but Hey peekaboo. 

0  

00:51:02

No, we're, we're good. We think that we think, we think we got our men. We're good. Do you, do you think that you feel like, cause I tried to read on as to whatever happened with like the judges and the jury and everything like that. And no one, like nothing ever really came of it. Nobody really said anything. My bad guys, JK, you remember that whole thing about us and you to death. We could just like sweep that under the rug. Right? Like it never happened. Just erase all that. So elections are coming up. I know this is real awkward, but if I could get you to endorse me would be great. 

0  

00:51:46

Could that, could we work that out? I look, I understand. I sentence you to hang. I get it. Feelings were hurt. That was two months ago. Okay. This is now. And I feel as though we can forgive him. So is that a yes. Can I count on your, like if you endorse me, I feel like everybody would just follow your lead. Everybody might just kind of forget what happened. Hey. And that could actually actually think about the Stephen. That could be good for you. It could be, it could be a real selling point for you because I mean, didn't look then people know no ill feelings between us. 

0  

00:52:35

Right, right, right, right. I could just put you back in jail. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. No, I'm not going to put you back in jail, but I do have friends that are watching you. I mean, it's, that's neither here nor there. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Take a trope, take a back seat. You remember that time that I finished you to hang? That was a joke. That was a joke. And it was funny. It was funny because you get tired. So yeah. But did you die for the shackles ever? Got you some padding. And when they were chafing took care of you remember get that cold water for when you passed out, you remember that you remember, you remember, and I didn't know, it wasn't me, but it was a, it was my sisters, cousins, brothers, son that got you that water. 

0  

00:53:22

And so I feel, I feel as though I got him, that job cause me, so yes. I'm counting on your vote, right? Yes. Look and endorsement it be great. It'd be great. I'm not saying it's necessary, but I am saying I'm still the judge right now, so, oh, and how's your wife like, and then you bought it. She, she could, I mean, I did see her running around with somebody else here that is neither here nor there. But I'm saying if you want something done with the garden, I know people who know people have no, it will be cleaned this time. 

0  

00:54:07

They will have actually done it. I mean, wait what? So I know a guy that can like tell some stories. I'm gonna go talk to Jesse. I'll let you, I'll let you think about it. You seem to be the older brother in this scenario. I'm gonna let you, I'm gonna let you sleep on it. I'll be back tomorrow. We can discuss your speaking engagements and no hard feelings. Right, right, right. Look D you never made it. You didn't make it to the platform to get hanged. Okay. I'm just saying things could either plan for you. 

0  

00:54:47

This is different kind of platform altogether. People will totally forget about it. It might've been two months ago, but it's fine. It could be a great team. Great team. You remember? Remember that whole Hamilton Jefferson thing. Remember how they were enemies then Dean. You remember what happened with that? Look, it might've led to Hamilton's death. Remember? Like our partnership could have led to years again. Kidding. Kidding. Kidding. All jokes. Hey, I'm just the judge. Who am I? Who am I to judge? Whether you were guilty or it, oh, wait, wait. No, I can't. I can't say that. Sorry. Cause that's like my job. 

0  

00:55:28

See, this stuff gets tricky. You see, do you see how much, how it could be difficult? Do you see this? Do you see? Sometimes we make mistakes. I don't, I don't make mistakes. I'll be back tomorrow to collect your proposal on endorsing me. And we'll go from there. New start new start. Bright horizon. Clear eyes, open heart. Can't lose. Let's go. Well, that was a case for this week. It's 2 22. We'll a good synchronicity. And we love you guys. 

0  

00:56:10

So we have a website and you can find everything you're looking for about us. Well, not everything, not every, not everything. Got to keep some things, some things close. The middle school, haircuts. We all had the head bangs. It was bad. I had bangs and I had a Bob. 

1  

00:56:30

I had a Bob and I got curly hair. 

0  

00:56:32

I wasn't gonna say anything. So we're one nation under crime on Facebook and Instagram and at O N U C pod on Twitter, go now to apple podcast rate and review our podcast. Five stars only if you made it this far and you don't think we deserve five stars. What are you still doing here? Because we 

1  

00:56:53

Had a great little comedy. 

0  

00:56:56

And that, that, that was off the cuff guys. That was that's us. 

1  

00:57:00

That's us. That's just 

0  

00:57:01

Us. And welcome. We understand you get this for free guys free. How lucky are you again? Can we count on your endorsement? What can we say? 

1  

00:57:12

Except you're 

0  

00:57:13

Welcome. We didn't, we didn't frame me for murder. No, we didn't send it to you to hang. So, I mean, honestly, if you're really thinking about it, that alone deserves a five-star review. So we say you do it. You get a cool sticker. If you send it to me and let me know that she did it and give us your address that too. Gotcha. We do. We do need that. We won't use the address for nefarious purposes. 

1  

00:57:38

Like we won't just like give you junk mail and stuff. We just want to send you a sticker. 

0  

00:57:44

We do have a Patrion where you can be like all the other cool cats and kittens on there that help with that help with the cost of making and hosting the show. They're making a season two of tiger king, by the way. Thanks for listening to us this week and hanging on for our tangents. We love you guys. By the way we are. I'm about to go get that apple cider mimosa right about now. And we appreciate you sticking around for this week's episode. One nation under crime. We will see you here. Same time, different crime next week. 

0  

00:58:24

And remember there isn't always Liberty and justice for all, unless he really didn't do it. And then the guy that you're supposed to have murdered just shows up one day 

1  

00:58:39

Out of the blue. Hey, what's 

0  

00:58:41

That on your leg? You know? Who knows? 

1  

00:58:46

I don't like Forrest Gump, Lieutenant Diane. 

0  

00:58:51

I ain't got no legs. Lieutenant Dan. No, but yeah, he did. He did legs. Okay. Sorry. Oh gosh, we gotta get outta here. All right. We'll see you then.