EP 53: THE ROAD TO JUSTICE: How an Investigative Reporter Uncovered the Truth

Award-winning journalist Doug Smith is "On The Record With Sarina Fazan" to discuss the case of a fatal car accident in small-town Florida, where the justice system failed and the driver was wrongly convicted. For more than two years, Doug's team investigated the case, uncovering a story that jurors had never heard. His reporting paved a road to justice and led to the freedom of an innocent man.  

The tragic accident took place on May 11th, 2001, when truck driver Jean Claude Meus was driving through the town of Wauchula, a close-knit community located in Hardee County, Florida. As Meus made what Smith calls a “hairpin turn,” another car cut him off and Meus swerved to avoid the car, causing him to lose control of his truck and roll onto an incoming van. Inside the van was Nona Moore and her three daughters, who were coming home from the mall. Moore and her 8-year-old daughter Lindsey were instantly killed, and the remaining two passengers survived.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles charged Meus with two counts of vehicular homicide indicating that he was driving recklessly. When the case was brought to court, the jury deliberated for less than an hour before declaring Meus guilty, and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

It was Nona Moore’s sister who brought the case to Smith, saying that an innocent man was behind bars. Smith’s team uncovered evidence that would change the outcome of the case and free Meus, including a false diagram of the accident and a witness who never shared their testimony. Listen in as Smith shows the power of investigative journalism in this eye-opening case and the importance of the media’s role in the fight for justice.

Watch Doug Smith’s “Small Town Justice” investigative reports here: https://youtu.be/ZZLqgAOuRWE

For more discussions like this one, make sure to subscribe to the podcast “On The Record With Sarina Fazan."

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Sarina Fazan’s dry cleaning and laundry provided by ZIPS Dry Cleaners (www.321zips.com/tampa). 

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