Hosted and produced by Linda Freund for KPFA
Documentary filmmaker Linda Freund tells the story of Sabrina Butler-Smith, the first woman exonerated from death row in the United States. At 18, Sabrina was wrongfully convicted of killing her nine-month-old son after signing a coerced confession and standing trial before an all-white jury with inadequate legal representation. Labeled a “baby killer,” she spent six and a half years in a Mississippi prison, nearly three of those on death row.
Years later, a new attorney uncovered medical records showing her son had died from polycystic kidney disease. Her conviction was overturned, and she was ultimately acquitted. In this conversation, Sabrina reflects on the fear and isolation of death row, the burden of self-blame, and the systemic failures that shaped her case, including racial bias and the neglect of women’s health in prison.
Today, she speaks out as a member of Witness to Innocence, an organization led by and for death row exonerees.
Instagram: @windowdeathrow
Website: https://windowdeathrow.com/
