New MTV Docuseries “Unlocking The Truth” Seeks To Uncover False Convictions

Imagine spending time behind bars for a crime that you didn’t commit. Seems unthinkable, right? Well in fact, there are as many as 60,000 people today who are incarcerated for crimes that they did not commit, according to the federal Prison Bureau.

Just a few years ago, Ryan Ferguson found himself in the same compromising situation when he was wrongfully convicted and sent to prison for the murder of a man. After much protest from his family and supporters, and recanted statements made by witnesses in his case, an appeal was granted and a judge ordered Ferguson to be released.

“This is something that can happen to anyone,” said Ferguson during a panel discussion. “This is something that is very real.”

“Unlocking The Truth” follows Ferguson and investigator Eva Nagao as they take a more extensive and thorough look into crimes that may have yielded questionable factors.

On the first first episode, after a brief overlook of Ferguson’s story, he visits Michael Politte in Kansas City, Mo- the same prison that he’d spent part of his prison sentence in. At the age of 14-years-old, Politte was charged with brutally clobbering his mother before setting her body on fire.

“It was a weird feeling going back there and having to visit Michael in same prison that I was in,” said Ferguson. “Looking from the outside in and me now as free man and him being locked up, it was crazy.”

Executive produced by Andrew Jenks and Adam Kassen, the socially impactful docuseries aims to unmask unlawful convictions within our judicial system.

“What makes this show so good is that guy Ryan,” said Andrew Jenks. “His story is real and a show like this has the potential to bring about a much larger conversation.”

If you missed the premiere of “Unlocking The Truth,” you can catch up on the full episode here.

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