WRAL Profiles Innocent Man In Prison For 37 Years

Joseph Sledge was convicted of a double murder in Bladen County, N.C., and spent 37 years in prison. Then, new evidence proved he couldn’t have been the killer. A new documentary from WRAL Raleigh, N.C. (DMA 25), An Obvious Suspect, examines the Sledge case and how he is adjusting to life now. The documentary, hosted by WRAL anchor Gerald Owens, premieres Tuesday, June 23, at 7 p.m.

Josephyne and Ailene Davis were murdered in their home in September of 1976. The obvious suspect at the time was Joseph Sledge, who had escaped from a nearby prison just hours before the murders. A jury convicted Sledge based on the testimony of two jailhouse snitches and expert testimony that hairs found on the victims’ bodies were similar to Sledge’s.

The jury never heard evidence that pointed to a different killer, including bloody fingerprints, palm prints and shoe prints. Investigations by the N.C. Center for Actual Innocence and the N.C. Innocence Inquiry Commission uncovered that evidence. The surviving jailhouse snitch admitted he lied on the stand and DNA testing proved that the hairs did not belong to Sledge. A three-judge panel declared Sledge innocent of the murders in January and he was released from prison.

WRAL’s documentary features an exclusive interview with his original trial attorney as well as reporters traveling to Savannah to spend time with Sledge and his family. An Obvious Suspect shows how investigators will use the uncovered evidence and DNA testing in their effort to solve what is now a nearly 40-year-old cold case.

Watch the full length trailer here.