In the early hours of Wednesday, November 27 2002, 16-year-old Martha Puebla was lying in bed in her home on the corner of Lull Street and Case Avenue in Sun Valley, a neighbourhood in the San Fernando Valley. Shortly before 2:00am, she heard a tapping sound at her ground floor window.

Looking out, she saw her friend Sofia standing outside. Sofia wanted Martha to go out with her and her boyfriend, 18-year-old Christian Vargas, who was waiting in his car out front. As Martha deliberated whether or not to go, a man in a hooded sweatshirt approached Christian’s car. Suddenly, gunshots rang out, causing Sofia to leap through Martha’s bedroom window to hide…

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Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at anytime you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. Some suggestions for confidential support for men, women and children:

 

AUSTRALIA:

Lifeline Crisis Support: 13 11 14

Beyond Blue: Depression and anxiety support: 1300 22 46 36

Rape & Domestic Violence Services: 1800 737 732

Men's Line: 1300 78 99 78

Headspace: Youth Mental Health Foundation: see headspace.org.au for your local centre

 

USA:

Distress &  Lifeline: 1800 273 8255

Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741 741

Domestic Violence Helpline: 1800 799 7233

Victim Connect: support for victims of crime: 855 484 2846

MTC program: maketheconnection.net/resources/spread-the-word

 

UK:

Mind: mental health support: 0300 123 3393

SANE: mental health support: 0300 304 7000

Samaritans support network: 116 123

National Stalking Helpline: 0808 802 0300

 

CANADA:

For a list of Canadian crisis centres: https://thelifelinecanada.ca/help/call/

 

NEW ZEALAND:

Lifeline: 0800 543354

Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (Text 4202)

CREDITS

 

Casefile Presents

 

NARRATION:

Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host

 

EPISODE:

Written and researched by Eileen Ormsby

Creative director: Milly Raso

 

MUSIC:

‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro www.dl-sounds.com

All other music and audio clean up performed by Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn

 

OTHER:

Logo design by Paulina Szymanska

 

 

RESOURCES

 

COURT DOCUMENTS:

Grand Jury Indictment against the Vineland Boyz

 

DOCUMENTARIES:

Long Shot – Netflix, 2017

 

ARCHIVED ARTICLES:

‘Murder defendent with TV tape alibi sues LAPD’ – Santa Cruz Sentinel, Aug 5 2004

‘Man with TV show alibi sues LAPD’ – The Los Angeles Times, Aug 5 2004

‘Murder suspect cleared by TV show outtakes is suing the city of Los Angeles’ – The Greenwood Commonwealth

‘Ballpark film provides man alibi’ – Sioux City Journal, June 2 2004

‘Interrogation, then revenge’ – The Los Angeles Times, July 2 2008

‘Slaying of teen witness prompts LAPD changes’ – Los Angeles Times, July 18 2008

 

ONLINE ARTICLES:

The Time Larry David Saved a Man from the Death Penalty – Mental Floss

How baseball, ‘Curb’ saved a man’s life – MLB News

Vineland Boyz guilty in drug, murder case – Los Angeles Daily News

Two men charged in Valley Slayings – The Los Angeles Times

60 Minutes: How comedy legend Larry David saved a wrongly arrested man – 9 News

How a taping of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ saved an innocent man from death row – Innocence Project

How ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ saved this man from prison – New York Post

Long Shot: The horrifying true story of a man falsely accused of a brutal gangland murder – The Sun

Bad night for the Vineland Boyz – LA Weekly

Interrogation, then revenge – The Los Angeles Times

Clearing the case – LA Weekly

Man cleared by TV footage gets $320,000 – ABC News

 

 

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