The Prosecutor's Story

Frederick Freeman was sitting in St. Clair County Jail pending his April 1987 trial. He was facing first-degree murder charges in the death of St. Clair Community College student Scott Macklem, a member of a prominent Croswell, MI family. The motive for the killing seemed improbably thin; Port Huron police asserted that Freeman had shot the young man out of jealousy, based on his brief, two-month relationship with Macklem's fiancée, Crystal Merrill. The real hurdle was the fact that Freeman was seen 436 miles away right about the time of the shooting. Combined with the fact that no credible evidence of Fred's guilt could be found, the case should have been quite difficult to prove. However, the prosecution had a novel approach to presenting their case, and a truly imaginative theory of how a cash-strapped, 23-year-old who sometimes landed on the wrong side of the law could have accomplished what seemed to be impossible... Framedpod.com

The shocking murder of St. Clair Community College student Scott Macklem cried out for justice, and the State of Michigan was determined to hold someone accountable for the crime – even in the face of a seemingly airtight alibi. But considering the methods and theories used to achieve that goal, we must question whether justice can possibly be served when a case relies heavily on conjecture, supposition, wild theories, faulty hypnosis, and unreliable witnesses. To understand the present, we must disassemble the past and learn how we arrived where we are today… Framedpod.com

Julia Cowley of The Consult podcast joins me to discuss the first two episodes of this season. With her significant training and experience with the FBI, Julia talks about the evidence and the behaviors exhibited by the perpetrator as well as by the prime suspect in the case. Website: Framedpod.com Social media: @FramedPod

In the previous episode, we learned of the brutal November 5, 1986, murder of well-regarded St. Clair Community College student Scott Macklem. The Port Huron Police Department, who began their investigation moments after their arrival at the campus parking lot, interviewed several people present at the crime scene that morning. Evidence was scant, and pressure to solve the crime was enormous, as the victim was the son of a beloved and politically influential local family. 1986 was also an election year, further adding to the burden of obtaining justice. Additionally, Scott left behind a young fiancée who was pregnant with the couple's first child. The stakes could not be higher, and law enforcement was determined that the young man's killer would swiftly be brought to justice. Framedpod.com

When a shotgun blast rang out on a frigid November morning on the campus of St. Clair Community College in Port Huron, MI, students within earshot assumed it was a firecracker or a car backfiring, or perhaps even a tire had blown out. But the truth was that a young college student named Scott Macklem had been pitilessly executed. Police settled quickly on a single suspect; a brash young man who was leading a somewhat alternative lifestyle. Framedpod.com

Aaron Habel (Generation Why) and Jack Luna (Dark Topic) bring you stories of the catastrophically lost. Search for Marooned in whichever podcast app you use and follow or subscribe and never miss an episode. Two episodes are out now with more on the way. Framed season 3 is still being worked on. I will update you once it is ready. Episode 1: InchwormEpisode 2: Crusoe Of The SaharaWebsite: visitmarooned.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In season two of Framed, we attempted to piece together exactly what happened in the Buddhist Temple Massacre at Wat Promkunaram. The end result of our research efforts produced, what we hope, is the clearest picture of what happened to the nine victims of Arizona's deadliest mass shooting. In spite of our efforts, there were still a few questions we were unable to answer in Season 2. So, the Framed Team kept digging, looking for those missing puzzle pieces. And, what we found has the potential to change the narrative that surrounds this case. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Framed Team has assembled the pieces to this jigsaw puzzle in a way that no one ever has, to reveal a picture no one's ever seen. To the question, what exactly happened inside the Wat Promkunaram temple on a warm summer night in 1991… we have an answer, and we think we can prove it See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Framed Team has assembled the pieces to this jigsaw puzzle in a way that no one ever has, to reveal a picture no one's ever seen. To the question, what exactly happened inside the Wat Promkunaram temple on a warm summer night in 1991… we have an answer, and we think we can prove it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The rules that govern what evidence is admissible and what is inadmissible can be complicated. Often times our common sense understanding of what a relevant fact is doesn't line up with what the law allows jurors to hear. The gap between the two views can be vast. In this case, the evidence the jury used to reach their verdict was remarkably different than the evidence we've covered so far. On this episode of Framed, we're going to explore why. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.