Video: Shirley Ree Smith in Her Own Words
These videos were produced by PBS' "Frontline."
Shirley Ree Smith, who was convicted of second-degree murder for shaking her 7-week-old grandson to death, speaks to ProPublica's A.C. Thompson. Her conviction was overturned, but then reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court. Now Smith, 51, faces a possible return to prison. Meanwhile, new doubts out of the Los Angeles County coroner's office raise more questions about her case. | Related story: New Evidence in High Profile Shaken Baby Case
'It's a Good Thing'
Shirley Ree Smith reacts to new doubts from the coroner's office on her conviction. "I wouldn't even be in this predicament if he was here 15 years ago, 16 years ago," she said. "I wouldn't be going through this."
'Finally Justice Was Served'
Shirley Ree Smith tells correspondent A.C. Thompson her reaction when the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned her conviction on charges that she killed her grandson by shaking him to death. "They saw the facts and went on the facts, which no one else did," she said.
'Free, But Not Really Free'
Fifteen years ago, Shirley Ree Smith was convicted of shaking her grandson to death, but the facts were murky and she always maintained she's innocent. Her conviction was overturned, but then reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court. She tells FRONTLINE correspondent A.C. Thompson what it's like to live in legal limbo.
Post Mortem: Death Investigation in America
A year-long investigation into the nation’s 2,300 coroner and medical examiner offices uncovered a deeply dysfunctional system that quite literally buries its mistakes.
The Story So Far
In TV crime dramas and detective novels, every suspicious death is investigated by a highly trained medical professional, equipped with sophisticated 21st century technology.
The reality in America’s morgues is quite different. ProPublica, in collaboration with PBS “Frontline” and NPR, took an in-depth look at the nation’s 2,300 coroner and medical examiner offices and found a deeply dysfunctional system that quite literally buries its mistakes.
Latest Stories in this Project
Get Updates
Our Hottest Stories
- Time Out: Federal Complaint Alleges Rampant Abuse in Texas Truancy Program
- Bank of America Lied to Homeowners and Rewarded Foreclosures, Former Employees Say
- Worried about the Mass Surveillance? How to Practice Safer Communication
- Walmart Accepted Clothing from Banned Bangladesh Factories
- Four Years Ago Obama Promised to Investigate Afghan Massacre. Has Anything Happened Since?
- When Interns Should be Paid: A #ProjectIntern Explainer
- Without a Final Map, New York Rebuilds on Uncertain Ground
- Five Ways Congress is Trying to Curb Rape in the Military
- Objection Overruled: Top Prosecutor Must Testify in Wrongful Conviction Case
- Rape and Other Sexual Violence Prevalent in Juvenile Justice System
- Bank of America Lied to Homeowners and Rewarded Foreclosures, Former Employees Say
- The NSA Black Hole: 5 Basic Things We Still Don’t Know About the Agency's Snooping
- Walmart Accepted Clothing from Banned Bangladesh Factories
- The Best Stories on the Government’s Growing Surveillance
- Worried about the Mass Surveillance? How to Practice Safer Communication
- Betting Against the Future: How Industry Loses When Interns Go Unpaid
- Four Years Ago Obama Promised to Investigate Afghan Massacre. Has Anything Happened Since?
- Five Ways Congress is Trying to Curb Rape in the Military
- A Father’s Day Remembrance
- Unpaid Interns Win Major Ruling in 'Black Swan' Case — Now What?
2 comments
Paula
March 29, 2012, 8:18 a.m.
This child at 7 weeks probably just had its first barrage of vaccinations. See this article on how multiple shots in a young child can cause this kind of problem.
http://www.nvic.org/Doctors-Corner/Edward-Yazbak/Multiple-Vaccinations-and-the-Shaken-Baby-Syndrome.aspx
Linda
April 2, 2012, 6:10 p.m.
Paula, thank you for this information. I tweeted it @daehlin
Commenting on this story is closed.