#287 Jason Flom with Vincent Simmons

In early May of 1977, Keith Laborde and his 14 year old twin cousins, Karen and Sharon Sanders, allegedly picked up a hitchhiking black man at a gas station in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. About 2 weeks later, when asked about a scratch on his neck, Keith Laborde and the twins told a story about this armed hitchhiker who allegedly forced Laborde into the trunk and raped both girls. Despite not matching the description, a man with a few petty priors, Vincent Simmons, was arrested, put into a suggestive line up, and ultimately selected. When he refused to confess, police officer Robert Laborde shot him in the chest. Vincent survived, but only to have ALL discovery withheld by the state including the medical examination that proved that Sharon Sander's could not have been raped.  Simmons was convicted of two counts of attempted aggravated rape of the twin teenage sisters and given a 100-year prison sentence.  To learn more and get involved: https://www.change.org/p/vincent-simmons-is-innocent-and-has-been-imprisoned-in-louisiana-since-1977 https://wrongfullyconvicted.info/vincent-simmons/ The Farm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odx9NEHc17M Shadows of Doubt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98lCNnEnxno https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom Wrongful Conviction  is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. ​​We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.