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The first episode of ID's brand new season of Reasonable Doubt is all set to take a closer look at the 1993 conviction of Rodney Patrick McNeal.
Directed by Rob Rosen, the show revolves around two investigators re-examining controversial murder cases in an attempt to help the families of the people convicted of the crimes. The investigators decide if they should appeal or accept the verdict once and for all.
Defense attorney Fatima Silva and retired homicide detective Chris Anderson are re-investigating the cases.
Trigger warning: This article contains information about graphic violence
Who is Rodney Patrick McNeal?
Rodney Patrick McNeal used to work as a probation officer in San Bernardino County. He had a bachelor’s degree in criminal law and knew the criminal justice system inside out through many years of experience.
He was arrested in 1997 for the murder of his ex-wife, Debra Black Crow. Based on reports, Patrick and Debra had a volatile marriage and had several police visits related to domestic disputes.
Although records indicate no arrests, firearms have been confiscated by police on such visits. Records also reveal that Black Crow had previously filed an injunction, which was denied.
Days after Black Crow was found murdered, Rodney Patrick McNeal filed a $100,000 life insurance claim, claiming to be her sole beneficiary even though she had four children. The timing of the claim alerted the insurance company as well as law enforcement about his sketchy behavior.
According to the California Innocence Project, Rodney Patrick McNeal’s conviction was largely based on the couple’s history of domestic strife. The California Innocence Project believes he was wrongly targeted because of his race.
The police theorized that Rodney Patrick McNeal and Debra got into an argument when he arrived home to take her to her doctor’s and, in a fit of rage, killed her.
What did McNeal do and what happened to him?
On March 10, 1997, Rodney Patrick McNeal arrived home around 12:30 PM to take his wife, Debra, to a doctor’s appointment. Debra was six months pregnant at the time, and she was brutally murdered. She was found laying in the bathtub of the master bedroom with a jar of pennies and clothes dumped on top of her.
As per Rodney Patrick McNeal, he tried to lift Debra out of the tub but was not able to. After unsuccessfully trying to find the cordless house phone, he ran over to the neighbor's house and asked them to call 911.
When the police arrived, they discovered that the house had been trashed, furniture slashed, a wall unit knocked over, and a trail of blood from the living room to the master bedroom. Police concluded that Debra had been beaten and stabbed before eventually dying from manual strangulation.
According to phone records and eyewitnesses, Rodney Patrick McNeal was at his office until 12:15 PM and arrived home just before 12:30 PM, shortly before the 911 call was placed. The police officers arrived at the crime scene at around 12:32 PM which would make it impossible for Patrick to kill Debra and ransack the house in that timeframe.
Further, the blood stains in the living room indicated that the murderer would also have Debra's blood on their clothing, but Rodney Patrick McNeal's clothes didn't have any blood on them. Lastly, there were unidentified hair and fibers found on Debra.
Despite the compelling evidence in favor of him, the jury convicted Patrick of second-degree murder and the court sentenced him to 30 years of life in prison. In 2006, the California Innocence Project filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus on Patrick’s behalf.
The petition presented evidence of third-party culpability, namely Patrick’s half-brother, Jeffery "Jeff" West, who supposedly killed Debra. Debra’s murder had similarities to other murders Jeff had committed as he would place his victims in the bathtub after killing them.
At an evidentiary hearing in front of a San Bernardino Superior Court judge, Jeff's friend Cary McGill testified that Jeff had described Debra's murder to him in detail. Jeff said that he beat Debra until she was unconscious and then dragged her into the bathroom.
Rodney Patrick McNeal and Jeff's half-sister, Ebony Grant, testified that Jeff had confessed to killing Debra. When they called him to the stand by the California Innocence Project, Jeff took the 5th.
Despite strong evidence that Patrick was innocent, the San Bernardino Superior Court judge declined to reverse Patrick’s conviction and the post-conviction DNA testing on evidence found at the crime scene was inconclusive. Till date, Rodney Patrick McNeal remains in prison for a crime he may not have committed.
About ID's Reasonable Doubt
ID's Reasonable Doubt revolves around Retired homicide detective Chris Anderson and criminal defense attorney Fatima Silva. They help desperate families who are convinced that a loved one has been wrongfully convicted of murder.
Each week, the duo investigate a new case and are forced to decide whether the person has been wrongfully convicted or if the family needs to face the bitter truth that their loved one is guilty as charged.
In each episode of the series, new developments in the case, including additional witnesses and evidence, help to either support the defendant's contention of innocence or point towards the guilty verdict being the correct one.
The official synopsis for the upcoming episode reads:
"California probation officer Rodney Patrick McNeal gets a life sentence for murdering his pregnant wife in a fit of rage; his family says the system failed him, and they can prove he was wrongfully convicted; Chris and Fatima investigate."
Reasonable Doubt is a hard-hitting, balanced, and emotional look at the US criminal justice system.
The episode is titled Guiltless or Heartless? and will commence the fifth season of the show. It is all set to premiere on Monday, August 8 at 10:00 PM EST on ID.
