New Netflix Series Shines Light On Wrongful Convictions

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- The Innocence Files has become a popular show on Netflix.

The series focuses on individuals who’ve been wrongfully convicted.

Two of them, Levon Brooks and Kennedy Brewer, are from Noxubee County.

Their stories became a passion project for The Innocence Project, which also happens to be the same group that helped them regain their freedom.

“The idea was to kind of do a broad look at the problems in our justice system,” said Lauren Fulton, field producer of the project. “It’s broken down into different segments about the court system and the court process, but ours focused on just the evidence and looking at mis-applied forensic evidence.”

Fulton spent eight months in Mississippi gathering archive footage, court records, and interviewing those involved with the cases to get an in-depth look at what happened.

“We were just amazed once we got to Mississippi how much was preserved and how much was assessable,” Fulton recalled. “To get all of those materials and to be able to have access to these characters, it really helped bring our story to life.”

For Fulton, this project took her on a personal journey.

The two cases happened less than thirty miles from where the Starkville native grew up.

“You rarely work on projects that take you home,” she said. “I was the same age as both the victims Courtney and Christine growing up.”

Growing up, Fulton didn’t know about the crimes or wrongful convictions that had taken place.

But by the end of the project, she gained two new friends and a deeper appreciation of how the Brooks and Brewer were able to overcome all of the adversity that came their way.

“Every day and every experience for them is a gift after you go through something like that, and to be able to document even a part of that was a huge honor,” Fulton expressed.

Fulton hopes the eight-part documentary will shine a light on others who are wrongfully convicted, and ultimately lead to their freedom.

“It’s not only Levon and Kennedy, it’s so many others like them and it’s our hope that by telling the stories it will shine a light on the flaws of the justice system and actually provoke people to act and to make a change,” said Fulton.

The Innocence Project released the documentary in April.

Fulton said they hope to make a second series to this project, but at this time that decision has yet to be determined.