>> shele's children are growing up without much contact with shele's side of the family. is there anything that you want the children to know about their mother and how you feel about them? >> their mother with every breath she took and every ounce of her, she adored them. >> that's all for this edition of dateline. i'm andrea canning. thank you for watching. i'm craig melvin and this is dateline. >> something is wrong here. the system doesn't want to acknowledge that they made a mistake, but you made a mistake. >> the detective was like you tell us you did this?

i didn't do nothing. >> hearing the judge say guilty. two brothers convicted of murder fight back against the justice system. >> a pattern. how to gain a conviction. >> i knew they were innocent and the question is do we have enough? >> there are several witnesses saying the testimony is coerced. can they all be lying? >> if i have to die in this situation -- trying to prove i'm an innocent man. never gave up. never. hello, and welcome to dateline. imagine spending nearly your entire adult life behind bars for a crime you did not commit. the man you are about to meet say that nightmare felt too real threat decades long journey

to prove their innocence, they faced countless -- giving up is not an option, but, with their fight lead to freedom? here is the long road to freedom. >> tulsa, oklahoma. look at a list of top places to live and you will often find it. a city of promise of a new kind of energy, as its motto says. look a bit closer. just over the railroad tracks the separate the north from the south side, and you will find the city divided. segregated. if you walk deeper into north tulsa past boarded-up houses and broken basketball hoops, you will hear a story that's too familiar. >> the truth is, man, i've had to deal with the pain and the anger and frustration, sadness, the misery.

>> like the families of george floyd, breonna taylor, michael brown, and hundreds of other african americans whose names are chanted in protest nationwide, malcolm scott wants his story told. >> if we don't know it exists, how can we do anything about it? >> his story starts like so many other black lives that have struggled to matter. raised in poverty under the suspicious eye of the police and destin to a life of run-ins with the law. at its heart, it's a story about two brothers, malcolm and corey and the bond that could not be broken. not even in the face of unimaginable odds. what was it like growing up? >> you felt like you were always home.

familiar faces around you. >> large family? >> 12 brothers and sisters. it was crowded. >> [ laughter ] >> me getting a hold of football and running, that was life. >> malcolm caught the football bug from corey who was his older half-brother and best friend. >> we have a beautiful relationship. my mom would tell me, he is crazy about you. he would do everything you do. >> as a young teenager, malcolm dealt with the father who struggled with alcohol addiction and sometimes abused him. corey was his safe haven. >> i had to protect him. >> did he start to play the role of dad? >> i could better relate to him. i did not fear him and i felt safe with him. >> feeling safe was rare in north tulsa. this is where the poor lived, a

place with few social services, but lots of crack cocaine and gang violence. the night of august 3, 1990, was typical on the corner of atlanta and forth, a gun was fired. corey says he happened to be driving through. >> i look to where the shot came from and i see the dude fall. when we got there and i saw his chest was still moving, he was still breathing, and i was like somebody call an ambulance. >> when police arrived they found james, a smalltime drug dealer dead on the sidewalk. he had been shot once in the chest and wrapped. police stopped corey at the scene. some of his friends were known gang members and police thought corey was too. he had no criminal record. >> they ordered him out of the car and they searched us down and search the car.

he let us go. >> investigators were not able to develop leads in the case when cold. six months after the death, a 16-year-old told police he saw the shooter. it was corey. police arrested corey and charged him with first-degree murder. >> i was taken to the homicide division and the detective is like, you cannot tell us you did this? i am like man, i ain't did nothing. >> at trial, thomas became the star witness and prosecutors had more evidence. they played an interrogation video corey's friend who was with him that night in which he too told detectives that corey was the killer. corey took the stand in his own defense and testified he tried to help the victim, not kill him. >> i remember the da said, you

know they don't believe you you were going to the penitentiary for the rest of your life. i said, yeah, but the truth going to come out. >> the jury did not believe him and found corey guilty. june 25, 1991, he was sentenced to life in shift -- sent to a maximum security prison and like that he was out of malcolm's life. >> corey left and i was no more than 13. that was hard. >> to fill the void, malcolm started to hang out more with dimarco, a basketball player and neighborhood jokester. >> i used to think i was so funny. you know. i would tell jokes and get the girls and make them laugh. >> in north tulsa, fund could easily turn tragic in a split second. mel clement of marco were at a

party spot in december 1993 when a drive-by shooter hit the place. malcolm was grazed but dimarco was badly injured. he was rushed to the hospital with malcolm by his side. >> hang in there. keep your eyes open. he was holding my hand hold them. hang in there. >> losing his brother to present then seeing his friend almost die hard and malcolm. he inched a bit closer to the streets. police caught him with a handgun, something he says probably would not have happened if corey had been around. >> he has always been one who said no. you need to be in school forget that football. >> malcolm had always wanted to follow when his brother's footsteps and he was about to soon, another tulsa murder and another shock for young malcolm. coming up.

fingers are pointed at malcolm and his friend. >> these witnesses said they saw malcolm and demarco there. they identified them. >> everything froze. time suspended for a second. >> when dateline continues. c . this is the view i had of my baby in the nicu. my tip is: speak into the opening so your baby can hear you better. (announcer) you can quit. call 1-800-quit-now for help getting free medication. clogged gutters can cause big problems fast. until now. call 833-leaffilter today for your free gutter inspection. i've had terrible flooding problems on my porch. now i understand why. right now leaffilter is offering a free inspection, on your schedule. leaffilter is a permanent gutter solution, so you never have to worry about costly damage from clogged gutters again. call us today and schedule your free inspection. to schedule your free inspection, call 8 you can't leaveoday or v without cuddles.om.

but, you also can't leave covered in hair. with bounce pet, you can cuddle and brush that hair off. bounce, it's the sheet.

norman, bad news... i never graduated from med school. what? -but the good news is... xfinity mobile just got even better! now, you can automatically connect to wifi speeds up to a gig on the go. plus, buy one unlimited line and get one free for a year.

i gotta get this deal... i know... faster wifi and savings? ...i don't want to miss that. that's amazing doc. mobile savings are calling. visit xfinitymobile.com to learn more. doc?

here is an inescapable fact of growing up in a violence ridden low income community like north tulsa, then and now. if you are a 17-year-old black teenager like malcolm was in 1994? you are on police radar weather in a gang or not. >> i hear complaints from kids about being arrested for no reason. being hassled. being labeled gang members when they may of or in certain color. >> she was a coinvestigator crime reporter for the tulsa world newspaper for 22 years. >> i think the vast majority were good cops doing their job, trying to keep up. going from call to call but there were other reports of indiscriminate arrest. >> she said what she saw in tulsa reflected the stark reality all across the country. >> also was 10% african american both the arrest rate

among african americans is 43%. >> it was easier to grab and south tulsa then north tulsa? >> absolutely. i raised to two kids in salt tulsa and i didn't have to worry about my boys being pulled over for no reason. i didn't worry about the safety of my sons. >> how bad was the gang problem? >> it was bad. people were afraid. reports by crips and bloods warring. they were trying to deal with a high violent crime rate. a lot of guns on the street. >> september 10, 1994 was just that kind of day in north tulsa . another drive-by shooting. another senseless death. this time, it was 19-year-old karen summers, then mother of a baby boy who was gunned down into: 30 a.m. as she was hanging with friends at a party. >> this kind of case while it

did involve a tragic loss of life of a young mother who was an innocent victim, it was not highly unusual and tulsa. >> the murder had the signs of a gang crime and a lot of them were at the party. a day later, investigator paid a visit to michael wilson, a well-known member of the bloods. he noticed it was parked in his driveway. it matched the description of the drive by car. >> mike, i want to talk about the shooting and my goal is trying to hide a [sound of gunfire]. he takes the gun. ballistic tests showed it was the gun that was used to kill karen summers. >> it seemed dampening but he told detectives he was hiding the gun for malcolm's friend, de'marchoe , and had given him the bullets. wilson was arrested for holding the gun but his story lined up

with what police were hearing from two eyewitnesses, malcolm and de'marchoe killed karen summers. >> the witnesses said they saw malcolm and de'marchoe there and saw the shooting and identified them. >> suddenly malcolm was in almost the same situation his brother had been in three years before and telling eight tulsa homicide detective the same thing. i am innocent. >> i am like whoever is telling you this, they are mistaken. i didn't have nothing to do with it. >> despite the fact that no physical evidence pointed to malcolm and de'marchoe, prosecutors believed they were the shooter so they cut a deal with michael wilson and they allowed him to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for testifying against malcolm and de'marchoe. at trial, the prosecution presented the two eyewitnesses and what wilson had told them then de'marchoe said the

prosecutor approached him about a deal singing malcolm did and we will cut you a break. >> i thought he was insane for asking me that. >> you didn't even consider it. >> definitely not. why would i throw him under the bus? >> de'marchoe turned down the deal but nine hours later, he stood up horrified as the jury delivered its verdict. the two friends were both found guilty of first-degree murder. >> i couldn't hear nothing. people was crying but i didn't hear nothing. >> a judged sentenced malcolm and de'marchoe to life in prison plus 170 years. >> everything froze. it was like time just suspended for a second. >> malcolm thought of his older brother corey, now, they were

both serving life for murders they said they did not commit. but, they were determined to stay strong and to help each other. >> we basically made a pact with each other. we said whoever get out first, gonna get the other one. >> odds mel clement corey could keep that promise were next to impossible. the road to freedom if it ever came would be long, filled unexpected twists and revelations. >> coming up. a private investigator tracks down one of the eyewitnesses who i date malcolm and de'marchoe as the killers. >> he couldn't look me in the eye. i've been carrying around a burden. >> when dateline continues. dat then i found a chance to let in the lyte.” discover caplyta. unlike some medicines that only treat bipolar i, caplyta is proven to deliver significant symptom

relief from both bipolar i & ii depression. and in clinical trials, movement disorders and weight gain were not common. caplyta can cause serious side effects. call your doctor about sudden mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts right away. anti-depressants may increase these risks in young adults. elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. caplyta is not approved for dementia-related psychosis. report fever, confusion, or stiff muscles, which may be life threatening, or uncontrolled muscle movements which may be permanent. common side effects include sleepiness, dizziness, nausea, and dry mouth. these aren't all the side effects. in the darkness of bipolar i & ii depression, caplyta can help you let in the lyte. ask your doctor about caplyta. find savings and support at caplyta.com.

[coughing] copd isn't pretty. i'm out of breath, and often out of the picture. but this is my story. ( ♪♪ ) and with once-daily trelegy, it can still be beautiful. because with 3 medicines in 1 inhaler, trelegy keeps my airways open for a full 24 hours and prevents future flare-ups. trelegy also improves lung function, so i can breathe more freely all day and night. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. do not take trelegy more than prescribed. trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. ♪ what a wonderful world ♪ [laughing] ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy for copd because breathing should be beautiful, all day and night.

i still love to surf, snowboard, because breathing should be beautiful, and, of course, skate. so, i take qunol magnesium to support my muscle and bone health. qunol's extra strength, high absorption magnesium helps me get the full benefits of magnesium. qunol, the brand i trust.

corey atchison had been in prison for 28 years when i sat down with him. he said he spent almost every day of it trying to prove his innocence. but, he had exhausted his appeals and been denied patrol -- parole five times. was there a point over the last 20 plus years where you thought i am going to die here? >> times you get tonight in court you feel alone.

you want to say give some time. >> what was your lowest point? >> in situations when i wanted to be out with my daughter and help her and i could not. >> corey's daughter was born a couple of months after her father started his life sentence. >> they sent me paperwork trying to forfeit my custody saying i was unfit because i was in prison. i felt like i was failing her. felt like it wasn't my fault. >> corey felt the sense of failure and helplessness again when he heard about malcolm. what did you think when you heard your little brother was convicted? >> at first, this is my fault because he follow my footsteps. i felt this was my child begin taken away.

>> your brother told us he feels partly responsible for you going to prison. >> i mean there is no blame on my brother at all and i can't hold him responsible for something that i didn't even do myself. >> when malcolm entered prison he thought he would get out as soon as he filed his first appeal than his second and third. >> denied. denied. denied. >> malcolm and his friend de'marchoe started writing letters. who did you right to? >> anybody in the legal field you could think. >> what would you say in the letters? >> i need somebody to look at this case and they will see. >> they wrote thousands of letters day after day for 11 years. finally, in 2006, a private investigator, the son of a tulsa

homicide detective took on the case. >> i described their letters as scratches on a wall. i imagine what it must be like dropped in a whole 30 feet deep and good luck getting out. there is no such thing as a criminal justice system. it's just a system. it's not always fair. it's not always right. >> he track down the first eyewitness that what i.d. malcolm and de'marchoe was the killers. >> he couldn't even look me in the eye . i have been carrying around of burden. those boys did not do the. >> the man told eric cullen he shot at the drive by car as it sped away and cleaned the detectives threatened to put him behind bars for firing his weapon if he did not testify against malcolm and de'marchoe. >> he says they told him he could be charged with felony murder for firing the gun and

it might've been him that killed karen summers. >> now that he was making progress, cullen needed help so he turned to someone who has been a champion against wrongful convictions for years. tiffany murphy, then the director the oklahoma innocence project. it was not the first time a tulsa case had landed on murphy's desk. >> i was seeing a lot of cases where there were no facts that supported what i was seeing on these convictions. when you are seeing that lack overtime involving the same departments, sheriff's office, police department, prosecutors office, that's what bothered me. >> cullen and the innocence team tracked down the second i witness who testified he had seen malcolm and de'marchoe but police records show he had been shot in the buttocks and his back was turned. >> common cells tells you if you're running away, you're not

able to see anything. >> the eyewitness recanted and he claimed detectives had coerced his testimony too. >> this is a kid who got pressured into saying something he did not see. i was watching him. i could tell this was a man who remembered something that was extremely traumatic and as a black woman, i understand that. the fear of the police is a real thing. >> now, only one of the prosecution's q witnesses remain. michael wilson. >> michael is it. whatever he said had to tie everything together. >> the team knew exactly where to find michael wilson, on death row. >> coming up. >> i was incredibly nervous because i knew what was on the line for malcolm and de'marchoe. >> his job dropping omission.

>> i was not trying to shoot karen summers. >> what he has to say about the police. marlo thomas: my father founded saint jude children's research hospital because he believed no child should die in the dawn of life. in 1984, a patient named stacy arrived, and it began her family's touching story that is still going on today. vicki: childhood cancer, it's just hard. stacey passed on christmas day of 1986. there is no pain like losing a child, but saint jude gave us more years to love on her each day. marlo thomas: you can join the battle to save lives. for just $19 a month, you'll help us continue the lifesaving research and treatment these kids need now and in the future. jessica: i remember as a child, walking the halls of saint jude, and watching my sister fight for her life. we never imagined that we would come back.

and then my son charlie was diagnosed with ewing's sarcoma. vicki: i'm thinking, we already had a catastrophic disease in our family. not my grandson too. marlo thomas: st. jude has helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% when it opened to 80% today. join with your credit or debit card for only $19 a month, and we'll send you this saint jude t-shirt that you can proudly wear to show your support. jessica: for anybody that would give, the money is going towards research, and you are the reason my child is here today. charlie: i was declared-- this will be two years cancer free. but there's thousands and thousands of kids who need help. saint jude, how many lives they do save is just so many. marlo thomas: charlie's progress warms my heart, but memories of little angels like stacy are why we need your help.

please become a saint jude partner in hope right now. [music playing]

is real war cabinet member benny gantz announcing sunday he is resigning from his post. netanyahu -- he stands in israel's way of victory in gaza. france's present called a snap legislative election after his party's defeat in the eu parliamentary elections by the far right national rally party. welcome back to dateline. convicted for murder, malcolm scott and de'marchoe carpenter wrote thousands of letters asking for help to prove their

innocence. finally, private investigator eric cullen answered. working with the oklahoma innocence project, cullen methodically poked holes in the prosecution's case and now they would visit key witness and death row inmate michael wilson. but, could they reach him in time? back to the long road to freedom. by 2013, malcolm had been in prison for 19 years. his brother corey for 22. >> ready to go home. >> the days when their mom came to visit helped them hold on. the brothers drew strength from her. >> man, that lady been bright there. i never had to wonder if she still cared her if she was fighting for me. still believing in me. >> malcolm was hopeful his mom's prayers would be answered. two prosecution witnesses told the investigative team that

their testimony was a lie. that left michael wilson, the man who told police he had given de'marchoe bullets and hit the murder weapon for him. if you recanted too, malcolm thought they had a chance. but michael wilson refused to talk, and he had a good reason. he was on death row for the 1995 murder of a convenience store manager. wilson, seen here in the surveillance video while he committed the crime was appealing, hoping he would get a lesser sentence of life without parole. >> if michael had been executed without talking to us, we do not have a case. we don't have enough with what we've got so far to win. >> hoping someone can help me. >> de'marchoe was not ready to give up. >> president obama, ice cube,

shaquille o'neal. >> you started making videos in prison. the last i checked you weren't supposed to have cell phones in prison. >> i had to do what i had to do to regain my freedom. i felt i had to take this risk. >> wilson lost his final appeal on january 2, 2014. he was set to die by lethal injection one week later. then, the phone rang. it was wilson's warrior. >> she said if you want to talk to him, this is the window. i think it was 48 hours before his execution. >> i am mike wilson. >> ben murphy melt with him, video camera was rolling. >> i was incredibly nervous because i knew what was on the line for malcolm and de'marchoe. >> what might be their last

chance at freedom came down to whether he condemned man would decide to come clean. within minutes, he did. >> i wasn't trying to shoot karen summers. she was one of those type of things in the wrong place in the wrong time. >> wilson convinced to killing karen summers and said he thought it was all over when police actually caught him with the gun he used. >> it blew me away that i got caught with a gun and they let me go. all i know is i had a murder weapon on me and they let me go. >> wilson said it seemed the detective had made up his mind that malcolm and de'marchoe were the killers, and he played along. >> also had to do was answer yes or no. did i give bullets? i said yes. >> did de'marchoe give you a gun? >> no. he asked did carpenter give you a gun? and i said yes. that's what i had to say and they let me out.

>> that is why he was free to kill the convenience store manager. a murder that never would've happened had wilson been in jail and charged with karen summers death. >> you have people who would be alive. families not affected. destroyed by this horrible crime. that doesn't happen if he's arrested for this. >> malcolm got the call soon after wilson's confession. it was all there captured on video. >> they didn't do this crime. >> the words he ached to hear for 20 long years. >> [ crying ] i stood on my faith. i stood on my faith. >> you never lost that faith. >> i refused to let it go. >> the team presented the evidence to the judge but police and prosecutors denied they coerced any witnesses and

insisted that what wilson said on that video was a lie. >> the police from their standpoint and prosecutors say this guys going to die so be goes out and helps two of his neighborhood friends, what does he have to lose? >> would malcolm and de'marchoe have a shot at freedom? it was up to a judge now . >> if i have to die in the situation, let it be said i died trying to prove that i was an innocent man. >> twice is a pattern. a pattern of conduct. a pattern of how to gain a conviction. >> a fresh look at corey's case including new evidence from three eyewitnesses. >> they describe someone 57, corey atchison is 6'2". no one will misinterpret corey atchison for being 5'7" , okay?

what is cirkul? cirkul is the fuel you need to take flight. cirkul is the energy that gets you to the next level. cirkul is what you hope for when life tosses lemons your way. cirkul, available at walmart and drinkcirkul.com.

tulsa county courthouse may 9, 2016. a day almost 22 years in the making. the last time malcolm and de'marchoe faced a judge here, they were sentenced to life in prison but now they hoped another judge would set them free. >> if i have to die in the situation, let it be said i died trying to prove that i was

an innocent man. never that i gave up. never. >> the judge agreed with malcolm and de'marchoe that police pressured witnesses and that wilson's video confession was credible. >> they didn't do this crime. >> malcolm and de'marchoe she declared were innocent of the murder of karen summers. >> do you remember the morning you got out? >> i remember the sky was beautiful. i looked up and it was right there. it was beaming on me. >> the first thing malcolm did as a free man, he says, was to let go of his anger. >> i had to free my mind. i had to free my heart. that felt good. >> i'm not sure yet.

i know i will get in the jacuzzi. >> actually, before he did anything, he called his brother corey. >> he said it's over with. i cried tears of joy. i felt like i was getting released. it was like a burden off my shoulders. even if it don't ever happen for me. you know. i'm happy it happened for him. >> remember, they had a pact. the first one out gets the other one out. >> when i talked to the attorneys, what can we do about getting my brother out? they said you haven't even enjoyed being home yourself. i won't be completely able to. i need him home. >> eric cullen was now working on corey's case. as he poured over police and court records, he noticed just like with malcolm, there were several allegations of coercing

witnesses. >> most investigators don't believe in coincidence and i did not believe that was a coincidence. >> cullen teamed up with a defense lawyer and he discovered a 15-year-old testifying at a preliminary hearing claimed police had threatened him with jail time if he did not say corey was the shooter. >> partway through the testimony he said you know what? i can't do this what i just testified to is not the truth. i was told to say it by detectives. i did not see corey do anything. >> norwood track down the star witness. thomas. he told them he had lied too when he identified corey as the killer. >> thomas's claim is that police pressured him to say it, and then the prosecutor tim harris got him through the trial getting him to say it. >> then, there was corey's friend who had been with him the night of the shooting, ben

king, the one is set on the interrogation video that corey did it but king said he had told police twice before that corey did not do it. >> said he didn't do it. corey -- corey didn't do it. they didn't want to hear that. >> when police brought him in a third time and pressured him again, king said he had enough and just wanted to leave. >> they would not let me go. i didn't have an attorney or nothing. after being there all day, i thought, i've been telling the truth. he didn't do it so i thought i will tell them a lie. and go home. >> king said when the prosecutor tim harris asked him to testify against corey at trial, he refused. >> he kept trying to get me to say he did it and i would not do it. that's when they went and brought the tape in and played it. i told him that was a lie. it was coerced. >> to norwood, the parallels

between malcolm's and corey's cases were unmistakable. >> these teenagers were threatened with being charge themselves if they did not say what the detectives wanted them to say. you know, once twice is a pattern. a pattern of conduct. a pattern of how to gain a conviction. >> and corey's case, it wasn't just allegations of coercion. norwood found three different eyewitnesses who told police someone else was the shooter. none of them testified at corey 's trial. >> they describe the exact physical appearance of someone. 5'7" 150. that was the moment. corey atchison is 6'2". he is a big dude. no one will misinterpret corey atchison for being 5'7", 150.

>> given this evidence, malcolm thought his brother had a chance to get out of prison. >> what's up? >> every time i talk to you, talking about you, coming home, i am like, i was just on the other side. you know what i'm saying? >> grandeur locked up, it's like -- don't give up. >> one piece at a time. every step we take will get us to that big goal. you know what i mean? >> will corey and malcolm finally reunite? finally reunite? >> you know there are other witnesses who recanted. >> i do not know that. i do not know who said what. >> the da and corey's case

faces questions. you can see is someone would say you've got several witnesses all saying their testimony was coerced. can they all be lying? lying? now with skyrizi, i'm all in with clearer skin. ♪ things are getting clearer...♪ ( ♪♪ ) ♪ i feel free... ♪ ♪ to bear my skin, yeah that's all me. ♪ ♪ nothing is everything ♪ ( ♪♪) with skyrizi, 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months. and most people were clearer even at 5 years. skyrizi is just 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. serious allergic reactions... ...and an increased risk of infections... ...or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms,... ...had a vaccine, or plan to. ♪ nothing and me go hand-in-hand, ♪ ♪ nothing on my skin, that's my new plan. ♪ ♪ nothing is everything ♪ now's the time,... ...ask your doctor about skyrizi,...

...the number one... ...dermatologist-prescribed biologic in psoriasis. learn how abbvie could help you save. (noel) did you know it's possible to have a heart attack at age 36? i didn't. here's a tip. if you smoke, it's totally possible. that's what happened to me. (announcer) you can quit. call 1-800-quit-now for help getting free medication. everybody wants super straight, super white teeth. they want that hollywood white smile. new sensodyne clinical white provides 2 shades whiter teeth and 24/7 sensitivity protection. i think it's a great product. it's going to help a lot of patients.

malcolm scott was exonerated but his freedom was only the beginning. he and his brother corey had a pact. first one out gets the other

one out. as the focused turn to corey, investigators alleged they found a disturbing pattern of coercion by law enforcement. with his future at stake, corey's lawyers were determined to write the wrong. but, a judge would have the final say. now, the conclusion of the long road to freedom. >> is this going to happen this time? thinking about everything. >> it's one day before a judge will decide whether 47-year-old corey atchison becomes a free man or spends the rest of his life in prison. even if corey gets out, life will not be easy. take de'marchoe. what's it been like being on the outside? >> it has been a struggle. i'm trying to figure out who i am and what i want to do. i missed out on so much. >> malcolm on the other hand

has adjusted well and lives in texas where he works as a personal trainer and he is in love. malcolm said his life would not be complete until the judge said those same words to corey that she said to him. >> when she makes that final decision you are a free man, i feel like -- [ laughter ] >> hey. how are you? >> i have been waiting for a long time. >> family and friends, a simple at the county courthouse. no cameras were allowed inside but i was there to hear the judge's words. she declared there had been a fundamental miscarriage of

justice and found there was clear and convincing evidence that corey atchison did not commit this crime . his daughter courtney, 28 years old, a parent herself, was overjoyed. you heard the judge say you are a free man. >> there's no words to explain. i am so happy and ready for him to come home. >> dateline repeatedly asked the tulsa police department to respond to the allegations it threatened teenaged witnesses in both malcolm's and corey's cases and we asked the da and the mayor's office for interviews. they all declined. but, we did speak to tim harris, the former district attorney who prosecuted corey and to thomas said coerced him into lying the corey was the shooter. >> i said the allegations are

untrue. they are lies. i says they elected district attorney in this community for 16 years, i have never coerced. i have never forced and i certainly never presented false testimony. not only of mr. thomas but in any case in my career. >> what about ben king? >> i can't remember what he said. that was 28 years ago. >> but you know there are other witnesses who recanted. >> i don't know there. i do not know who said what. >> you can see someone looking at the case from the outside who would say you've got several witnesses all saying their testimony was coerced. can they all be lying? >> i don't know what they said, okay? but if they're present at the scene and they say corey atchison was not the shooter, then tell me who is.

i presented the evidence presented to me at a jury trial and 12 citizens listened to all the evidence and decided that mr. atchinson was guilty of first-degree murder. >> the judge today said had the same jurors listen to all the evidence, they would've likely reached a different conclusion. >> that is her opinion and i respect it. i disagree. >> the system doesn't want to acknowledge they made a mistake. but you made a mistake. you made a horrible mistake and the fact it happened twice in the same family, there are no words. >> in 2020, the oklahoma innocence project worked on a staggering 145 potential wrongful conviction cases in tulsa. >> there is a problem here and it continues to be a problem. >> and of course, it's a national problem, especially for african americans. a study of the national exoneration registry showed innocent black people are about

seven times more likely to be convicted of murder the innocent white people, and that police misconduct is 22% more likely to play a role in their exoneration than white defendants. >> people are saying how can we fix it? very few people on the state side want to sit down and have a go on his conversation, how did we get here? >> in june 2020, weeks after george floyd's murder, a tulsa police major said the police are not systematically racist citing crimes statistics essential police shooting african-americans, quote, 24% less than the probably ought to be based on crimes committed. the first african american police chief and mayor in tulsa criticize those remarks. >> what came out of his mouth is in no way reflective of what we are trying to accomplish in the city of tulsa for the tulsa

police department. >> this body cam video of tulsa police forcefully arresting a black teenager in north tulsa for jaywalking. meanwhile, malcolm and de'marchoe are suing the city of tulsa and the individual police officers who they claim coerced testimonies used to convict them. the city and the officers have denied the claims that are fighting to dismiss the lawsuit. malcolm says he is not looking for blame. he wants to promote change. >> my heart is strong about every single one of those people going through their struggle to prove their innocence. i know the pain. i know the hurt. that is what this is about for me. giving the next man a chance. >> welcome to freedom. >> corey struggled to prove his

innocence is done. malcolm, their mom, family and friends get ready to welcome corey as he takes his first steps as a free man. in 28 years. >> i imagine you spent many nights thinking how this would go? >> yeah, i had this dream. i woke up with tears in my eyes. one of my partners came in and said what's up? i said, man, we are going home. >> here he comes. >> a little over a year after his release, corey atchison sued the state of oklahoma for wrongful conviction. june 2021, the state settled the claim. while denying liability, officials paid corey $175,000, the maximum allowed under oklahoma law. that's roughly

$6250 for each of his 28 years behind bars. from 2016 to 2020, 374 people wrongfully convicted of murder, 61% african-americans, have reunited with their families together they spent over 6000 years in prison. years. years they will never get back. that's all for this edition of dateline. i am craig melvin. thank you for watching. i am craig melvin and this is dateline. leading up to this assign what it was going to be like. >> i had so many thoughts leading