In May 1987, on-duty police officer James Duckett raped and murdered an eleven year old girl. Or did he? In this documentary we hear from people who believe he is guilty as sin - including the victim's mother; people who think he is himself a victim - of poor detective work, dubious evidence, and a rush to judgment; most interestingly we hear from a former police officer who came to believe in Duckett's innocence, and then changed his mind.
Some of the evidence against him is certainly flawed, but there is something rather unconvincing about the man who all through his interview does not stop smiling. There is also the possibility indeed the likelihood that Teresa McAbee was not his first victim. Florida is one of the states that executes convicted murderers, but in 2014 it dispatched only 8, and last year 2. If America had a sane criminal justice system, Duckett would either have been sentenced to life without parole or executed a quarter of a century ago. It seems unlikely he will ever be executed now, but as long as he is never allowed back on the streets, no one should care.
Some of the evidence against him is certainly flawed, but there is something rather unconvincing about the man who all through his interview does not stop smiling. There is also the possibility indeed the likelihood that Teresa McAbee was not his first victim. Florida is one of the states that executes convicted murderers, but in 2014 it dispatched only 8, and last year 2. If America had a sane criminal justice system, Duckett would either have been sentenced to life without parole or executed a quarter of a century ago. It seems unlikely he will ever be executed now, but as long as he is never allowed back on the streets, no one should care.