Police Officer’s 19‑Year Fight to Prove He Didn't Murder His Kid's Mom

On Friday, the 5th of September 2003, a single gunshot wound ended the life of Aldonna Harris Vasquez. Immediately, all suspicion fell on the only person who was in the room with her that day: Lescene Edwards.  The police started with suspicion, and the prosecution settled on a story that was salacious and simple: a police officer who killed the mother of his children and staged it to look like a suicide.  The motive? Jealousy. The method? Deception.  He forged a suicide note, and there was no gunshot residue on her hand, so she couldn’t have fired the gun.  From that day in 2003, Lescene Edwards never wavered in his account of what happened in that room—it would take more than 19 years, the intervention of Jamaica’s Court of Appeal, and ultimately the UK Privy Council, before the system admitted what really happened: this was not murder. In this episode of Stuck, host Andrew Wildes revisits one of Jamaica’s most devastating wrongful convictions. From biased police tactics to flawed forensic evidence, we unpack how the justice system failed—and what it cost one man, his family, and the country. Brought to you by ⁠⁠The Wave⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠The Frequency Network⁠⁠. More About Andrew Wildes Explore the work of ⁠⁠Andrew Wildes⁠⁠—Jamaican lawyer, journalist, and host of Stuck: Wrongful Convictions in Jamaica. His mission is to expose systemic injustice, amplify the voices of the wrongfully imprisoned, and drive meaningful legal reform through storytelling and advocacy. ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ For updates, insights, and behind-the-scenes content, follow Andrew across platforms and join the conversation on justice in Jamaica. Production, Distribution, and Marketing Produced by ⁠⁠Massif Studio & Production⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠The Tallawah Group⁠⁠. ⁠⁠Massif Studio Website⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Massif on LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Tallawah Website⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Tallawah on LinkedIn⁠⁠ For sponsorship inquiries, contact: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices