Case 134
Martha Puebla
16-year-old Martha Puebla was no stranger to gang violence. She lived in California’s San Fernando Valley, where Latin American organisations like the 18th Street Gang and the Vineland Boyz controlled the streets. So when Martha inadvertently witnessed a gang-related murder, she knew to keep her mouth shut.
However, after rumours circulated that Martha had ratted out the killer, she was shot to death out the front of her family home. 24-year-old Juan Catalan became the prime suspect, despite insisting he’d been at a baseball game at the time Martha Puebla was murdered. The only problem is, Juan had no proof of this alibi. Or did he?
CREDITS
EPISODE:
Research & writing – Eileen Ormsby
Creative direction – Milly Raso
Narration – Anonymous Host
MUSIC:
‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com
Audio production – Mike Migas
Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn
OTHER:
Logo and website design – 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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