Murder in the Orange Grove: The Troubled Case Against Crosley Green - Free at Last?: 7

Episode Date: October 30, 2024

Crosley Green won a major victory when his conviction was overturned in 2018. But two years later, he was still languishing in a Florida prison. How could that be? It would take a global pand...emic and the tenacity of his legal team to give him a chance at freedom. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Starting point is 00:00:47 Hey, long time no see. How are you doing? I'm good. How are you? I'm fine. You look good. You look really good. Thank you.
Starting point is 00:00:59 Thank you. You know? Mm-hmm. In February 2020, I made yet another trip to Florida, my third, to catch up with Crosley Green. It had been five years since I'd last seen and spoken to him face to face. I couldn't let go of Crosley's case. I couldn't get it out of my head.
Starting point is 00:01:21 It had been 21 years since I first started reporting on it and here I was preparing another installment for 48 hours. You and I have been seeing each other a long time. 99 I think. Yes a little over 20 years. I was really looking forward to this. I was too. It was hard to believe, but almost two years had passed since Crosley's murder conviction had been overturned by a federal judge in 2018. Overturned. Thrown out. I'd hoped that by now I'd be catching up with Crosley, maybe at a cookout with his many family members. And maybe Crosley would show me around Mims, Florida, his hometown, and we could check out his church.
Starting point is 00:02:13 Crosley should have been out celebrating his freedom, but instead we were meeting again in a Florida prison, this time Calhoun Correctional Institution, a long five hour drive from his home. What do you want people to know about Crossley Green, the Crossley Green in 2020? 30 years, 31 years. That's enough to break a man. That's enough to destroy a man. But I want the people to know that I'm not destroyed.
Starting point is 00:02:57 I'm not down. I'm still alive. That was really important to Crosley, to let me know he wasn't a broken man, even after all the heartbreaking disappointments over the last 31 years. This podcast series has delved deeply into many of them. When I went to see Crosley in 2020, he was 62 years old and he had spent half his life in prison. And in some ways, this was the cruelest development of all. Crosley's prayers had been heard, and against all odds, his conviction had been overturned. And yet, he remained behind bars.
Starting point is 00:03:43 How is Crosley not free already? I'm 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty. This is Murder in the Orange Grove, the troubled case against Crosley Green. Episode 7, free at last. In 2018, Crosley Green finally won a rare but major victory when a federal judge overturned his conviction. The judge had agreed with Crosley's attorneys that former assistant state attorney Chris White, who handled Crosley's 1990 trial, had violated Crosley's constitutional rights when he withheld crucial notes from the defense. Information like that is very powerful and it would be explosive to introduce it in the court.
Starting point is 00:04:39 This is Kenneth Nunn. He's a visiting law professor at Howard University, who also served on the Florida Innocence Commission, a group that suggests changes to Florida law to avoid wrongful convictions. I would assume there are people sitting in prison right now actually innocent, but because they can't prove that either the prosecutor made an error or withheld evidence or the
Starting point is 00:05:05 judge did. They're just going to sit there for the rest of their lives. Yes, or their defense attorney because they may have been the one to make the error as well. So if you can't show there was an error that was made by somebody, then you can sit in prison for the rest of your life. Professor Nunn knows Crosley's case well, and we met up recently to talk about its never-ending twists. Nunn said that prosecutors are obligated to turn over evidence, like the notes in this
Starting point is 00:05:32 case. He said it's fundamental to our criminal legal system, which hinges on due process. Finally he got his conviction overturned. How unusual is it to get that kind of ruling? Well, that's if you have a federal court after many, many levels of state review to look at the case and say there was a conviction, it happened 30 years ago, but it shouldn't have happened, and to correct that. That is not an everyday occurrence
Starting point is 00:06:03 in the criminal legal system. So it's a big deal. A really big deal because with that ruling in the eyes of the law, Crosley Green was once again an innocent man and yet he remained behind bars nearly two years later in 2020. Crosley wasn't released immediately. Why not? Judges want to make sure that the community is protected and that people who committed a crime actually receive the punishment that they are due.
Starting point is 00:06:38 So they're going to give the prosecution an opportunity to show that there was a problem in the case. After the federal judges ruling, the state had 90 days to decide whether to retry Crosley's case, which is what Crosley was hoping for, or to appeal the decision. The state decided to appeal. All Crosley Green has wanted through all these years is a new trial. Correct. I mean, we have seen everything that went wrong with his trial, including this very
Starting point is 00:07:15 questionable photo lineup, all the witnesses who recanted their testimony, contradictions in the only eyewitnesses testimony. Why wasn't he given a new trial at that point? It's a very big hurdle for the prosecution to win a case after 30 years. If they're thinking, we're going to have a new trial, then we have to call witnesses that may not be alive at this point, 30 years later, we might not be able to find, whose memories may have dissipated. And they have the burden to prove.
Starting point is 00:07:53 It's much easier for them to say, okay, we'll just have an appeal. We're going to kill some trees and send some papers up and have another court look at this and then that will make a decision. It just seems like there's so many obstacles to have someone just take another look at this case. Congress and federal courts are more concerned with preserving convictions than they are concerned with making sure that innocent people get released from prison. While the state pursued an appeal, While the state pursued an appeal, everything was put on hold, including Crosley's release. The same federal judge who overturned his conviction also ruled that Crosley had to
Starting point is 00:08:35 stay in prison for the appeals process, even though I should point out here, Crosley was a model prisoner. The assistant warden at Calhoun Correctional told me that Crosley had a near perfect record, and yet he remained in prison. It was a devastating blow to Crosley and his family. And for his attorneys, Keith Harrison and Gene Thomas, it was perpetuating the wrongful incarceration of an innocent man.
Starting point is 00:09:09 I actually think it's a tragedy that he remains in prison. Crosley at this point is innocent until proven guilty. If it were the original trial, there's the Speedy Trial Act, which guarantees that the trial must take place within a certain amount of time. But on appeal and on these post-conviction proceedings, there's no clock running. So now the fact that we have a decision
Starting point is 00:09:36 that he was wrongfully convicted and he is entitled to a new trial, it's incredibly frustrating that there's nothing to make the process happen faster. Since he's been sitting there waiting for his day in court again, what has he lost? Well, he's lost family members, and it was very hard on him, in part because he had historically played the role of a father figure in their family. He still thinks of himself in that role,
Starting point is 00:10:10 and it was extremely hard for him not to be there for his family at their time of grieving. The closest two are my two sisters. You know both of them, Brenda and Teelin. And they was like back to back, within two years of each other, you know. Couldn't go to their funeral? Couldn't go to their funeral.
Starting point is 00:10:39 That's been tough. That's been tough. You've lost the law. Yep. While Crosley remained in prison and separated from his family, his case still inched forward. In March 2020, the lawyers on both sides argued in front of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Jacksonville, Florida. How much is riding on that hearing? Literally everything. If the court rules in our favor and says the district court got it right
Starting point is 00:11:23 when it ruled that Crosley had been wrongfully convicted, then we will immediately move for his release and the state will have a limited period of time to retry him or decide not to retry him, which is certainly the state's option. But there's also the chance that the appeals court would side with the state of Florida and reinstate Crosley's conviction, keeping Crosley in prison for a life sentence. There was so much writing on this hearing, and yet Crosley himself was not allowed to
Starting point is 00:12:02 go to Jacksonville to witness the oral arguments. But his family showed up in full force, including his younger sister Sheila, who had once testified against him at trial, and his sister Shirley. They had gone after work, driven through the night to get there in time for the morning hearing. Shirley led the family in a prayer. Ask for our brother freedom, O heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. The focus of this hearing?
Starting point is 00:12:36 Those crucial notes that former prosecutor Christopher White took after meeting with first responders Diane Clark and Mark Rixie 31 years ago when they told him that they questioned Kim Halleck's story from the start. We're going to be focused on what the impact would have been if the government had not hidden these notes. 1-3-5-2-4. Crosley Alexander Green versus the Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections. On March 12, 2020, the hearing opened with Assistant Attorney General Kelly Nealon addressing the 11th Circuit Court. We are here appealing an order where a district court granted a new trial to Mr. Crosley Green based on an alleged Brady violation by the state.
Starting point is 00:13:28 You're listening to a court recording of some of the hearing. We believe that the district court's factual findings are clearly erroneous. Neelon argued that the notes with help from Crosley's defense team pointing to Kim Halleck were simply opinions of first responders, not evidence. They administered first aid to the dying victim. They collected a firearm. They roped off the scene. And that's all they had to do with this case. She added that both Clark and Rixie had been deposed before the trial, and they hadn't disclosed this information either. But defense attorney Keith Harrison argued that the notes were crucial to Crosley's defense
Starting point is 00:14:11 and would have changed the course of the trial. They were all deposed, but those depositions would have been completely different if these notes would have been disclosed. These notes would have been a game changer. In this clip, you'll also hear the voice of visiting circuit judge, William Traxler. Are you saying that prior to trial, defense counsel did not know
Starting point is 00:14:32 what the two detectives thought? Absolutely. These officers in these notes were trying to paint a picture for the prosecutor that they had the wrong man and that the investigation was going in the wrong direction. Defense had no idea about any of that. After the hearing, Crosley's family was hopeful.
Starting point is 00:14:51 I asked attorney Keith Harrison if he was as optimistic. What's the best case here? The court rules in our favor. And at that point, we would move for Carlsley's immediate release from prison. Carlsley Green had won a big decision in federal court, but because the state of Florida appealed it, his future depended on what the Court of Appeals decided. His attorneys, as I mentioned,
Starting point is 00:15:31 went before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on March 12th, 2020. But there was no timeline for when the appellate court needed to make a ruling. And in this case, the timing couldn't have been worse for Crosley Green. when the appellate court needed to make a ruling. And in this case, the timing couldn't have been worse for Crosley-Green. We are going to begin right now with breaking news
Starting point is 00:15:52 because the World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, citing alarming levels of spread. Of all the ups and downs in Crosley's case, a global pandemic was truly something no one could have predicted. No one wants to get sick in prison, even if you have picture-perfect health. But by 2020, Crosley was in his early 60s and had developed some health issues. Here again is defense attorney Keith Harrison. So while in prison, Crosley was tested
Starting point is 00:16:30 and it was determined that he had latent tuberculosis, which means it's not active, but it does pose an increased risk if he were to contract COVID. Getting Crosley out of prison was no longer just about justice, It was about saving his life. At the time, the state of Florida published the number of COVID deaths that happened within its prison walls. And I remember reading those reports anxiously as the numbers kept going up and up.
Starting point is 00:17:01 going up and up. On April 18, 2020, 48 Hours released its broadcast on Crosley Green. We had hoped that our report would push his case forward. But remember, we were in the middle of a pandemic and everything had stopped. But when the pandemic dragged on yet another year, Crosley's attorneys took action. In March of 2021, they filed an emergency motion asking for Crosley's immediate release due to the threat of COVID-19
Starting point is 00:17:37 while they waited for the decision. They asked the secretary of the Department of Corrections to act due to, quote, increased risk of serious illness or even death from COVID-19 and added quote, if Mr. Green should meet that same fate while awaiting the 11th Circuit's decision, it will be a miscarriage of justice of unconscionable proportions. of justice of unconscionable proportions. On April 7th, 2021, phones started ringing and pinging at the Crowell and Mooring law firm in Washington, D.C. It was a whirlwind of a day.
Starting point is 00:18:19 My phone started just blowing up and I looked at it and you know, it was a text that said we did it. Crosley's going to be released. The court directed us to inform the warden to release Crosley as quickly as possible. I have never seen an order like that. Even though attorneys Keith Harrison and Gene Thomas had worked toward Crosley Green's freedom for 13 years.
Starting point is 00:18:47 This was such a surprising development, a moment they both dreamed of, and now it was happening. Crosley Green was finally going to be released from prison, and they had to act quickly. I called his brother O'Connor, who couldn't even speak. He was crying. We let the family know. They hit the road. They had to drive all the way across the state, about five hours.
Starting point is 00:19:14 Then Gene and I decided, well, you know, there's one flight that might get us there in time. So we rushed to make that flight. And it was really surreal. I remember hearing the news and immediately getting on the phone afterward, furiously searching for a camera crew that could get to Florida. Crosley was going to be stepping out of prison in just a few hours. The gates opened, and Crosley stepped out, and he had two bags in his hand. One bag was filled with books and the other was filled with all of his court papers. Later that day at 10 p.m. in a dimly lit parking lot, Crossley's family, Harrison along with
Starting point is 00:19:57 Thomas and other members of Crossley's legal team, stood outside of Calhoun Correctional Institution waiting and watched a familiar figure walk out of the gate. Crosley was finally leaving prison. And he stepped out and he paused for a moment and he kind of looked up at the sky and he looked around. I mean, he was trying to take it all in. And then he looked at me and he dropped his bags and we embraced. We didn't say a word.
Starting point is 00:20:34 We both shed some tears. But eventually we released and I said, Krause, there's some other folks here who want to hug you. Run down there. Run! You're supposed to bow down there. Run down there. Your feet is all down there. Everybody down there. Come on, girls.
Starting point is 00:20:52 A local cameraman we hired was there to capture this big moment. What's going through your head? Okay, okay. I can't wait to see the rest of my family. That's what's going on in my head. I want to see my kids, my grandkids. After nearly 32 years behind bars, Crosley Green was released from prison
Starting point is 00:21:16 due to concern over his age and health issues. But it was only a temporary release. The appeals process was still underway, and if Crosley lost the appeal, there was still a looming chance he would have to return to prison. But the federal judge who had overturned his conviction decided that for the time being,
Starting point is 00:21:39 he could wait at home with his family. Crosley's freedom had been decades in the making, but his actual release happened over the course of just a day. I knew this day was going to come, but I couldn't tell you when. I just gave it to the Lord and let him do it. It was on his will. I had a lot of faith that he was going to do this for me. Hello!
Starting point is 00:22:04 Glad you're home. Glad to see this day long. Thank you, Jesus, thank you. It was incredible. Tears were flowing. The family was just screaming and crying, and it was just glorious. It was so joyous.
Starting point is 00:22:26 It was like a clash where Crosley just basically ran into the arms of his screaming family. It's a moment that I'll never forget. This is the day that we long for, God. We thank you, Father God, right now in advance for you bringing our brother home, Crosley Green. Crosley's family stood in a circle with Crosley in the middle and Keith right next to him, all holding hands. They said a prayer. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Amen.
Starting point is 00:23:02 Thank you, Jesus. The next day, Crosley's legal team held a press conference. First of all, I want to thank God. I want to thank God that I'm standing here today as a free man. I want to thank my Lord Jesus for making it possible. It's hard to really put in the words of my feeling right now. But my feelings are so strong as of being a free man today. Crosley was released on a Wednesday night and was staying at his brother-in-law's house.
Starting point is 00:23:51 I got there three days later for his first interview as a free man. It was a sunny day, a bit windy, and his family was all around us having a big barbecue. The food was plentiful, music was playing in the background, and everyone was feeling good, especially Crosley. As I walked up to him, he looked the most relaxed and happy that I had ever seen him.
Starting point is 00:24:19 Oh my God! Can I hug you? Can I hug you? Can I hug you? I think we have to. I promise. Bye. Oh my god. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't believe this. I cannot believe this. You know that first time when I met you, you were in a very different place. Do you remember that? Yes. Oh my god, you look great.
Starting point is 00:24:46 You look great. Thank you. You look great, though. You're still looking good, girl. Remember, the first time I met Crosley, he was on death row. But this time, we were in the fresh air. It was such a good feeling to finally be sitting in a lawn chair under a Florida sky across from a man I had only seen previously in shackles.
Starting point is 00:25:09 And instead of a prison uniform, Crosley was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts. I started the interview the same way I did for the past 21 years, by asking Crosley to introduce himself. I, Crosley Green, have been a fiddler 32 years for Kramadee Kandil. And now I'm free. For a little while at least.
Starting point is 00:25:33 But I'm free. And what does that feel like? So sweet. So, so sweet. When you were sitting in Calhoun and you were imagining getting out, what was the first thing you wanted to do? Hand me a pint of ice cream. Really?
Starting point is 00:25:54 I got it. For years, Crosley had craved something that most of us take for granted. A scoop of strawberry ice cream. So on his first full day of freedom, Crosley went to an ice cream parlor. With him were some of his grandchildren. These are my two favorite babies here. Glad to be home with them. How you feeling, Bubba?
Starting point is 00:26:22 Good. You feeling good? Okay. Okay. Okay. And what did it taste like? Oh man, so good. Was that really the first time that being free sunk in?
Starting point is 00:26:38 Yeah. I was able to get what I want. I don't think I fully appreciated what freedom really meant until I spoke with Crosley that day. For over three decades, he was unable to make any decisions for himself. What to eat or when to eat it, when to take a shower, or for how long. But on this day, Crosley was finally able to do what he wanted when he wanted to
Starting point is 00:27:07 do it. He finally had the power to choose something for himself. I've also been interviewing several of Crosley's relatives for decades, but until this moment, I hadn't had a chance to meet his extended family, and it's a big one. Tell me who every, do you know who everybody is here? This is my great nephew. This is my great niece. This is my granddaughter.
Starting point is 00:27:37 I got another granddaughter here. Crosley was meeting some of his relatives for the first time. You did miss a lot, didn't you? Yeah, I missed a lot lot, didn't you? Yeah, I missed a lot. How old are you? 13.
Starting point is 00:27:49 13. How old are you? 11. She's 11. That's 13 years already gone I can't get. That's 11 years already gone I can't get. What else? What else has just struck you that is different? In just these days, have you noticed?
Starting point is 00:28:07 I still wake up at the same time, around 3 o'clock, 3.30. You know what I do? I walk out the door and sit on the back of that pickup truck, you know what I'm saying? And look up and say, thank God I'm free, you know? Now I get me a cup of coffee, sit down and smoke me a cigarette. You know, listen, this is a wonderful thing. It's a wonderful feeling to be free. It really is.
Starting point is 00:28:34 See, I'm gonna show you. Now this is just a little joke. Okay. Suddenly, Crosley stood up and he started to unclip his microphone. He began walking away. I wasn't quite sure what was happening. And you can actually hear the confused voice of Dennis, my cameraman, who thought that
Starting point is 00:28:58 Crosley was abruptly ending the interview. And then, Crosley started to laugh. No, oh,ley started to laugh. No, uh-oh, my bad. But, but, yes, still, I'm gonna do this here. No, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. We're not gonna be able to hear you.
Starting point is 00:29:14 But, no, I don't want you to hear me. Take a hit this here. I don't want you to hear me. I have no idea what he's gonna do here. You don't know? I don't. What are you gonna do? What, you don't know? No. I ain's gonna do here. You don't know? I don't. What are you gonna do? What, you don't know? No.
Starting point is 00:29:26 I ain't gonna do this interview. Oh. You understand what I'm coming from now? I do. You now could choose. I can choose. I made this choice. That's the thing about this whole interview. I am able to make a choice now to be with my family. This moment really caught me off guard. Crosley was showing me what his newfound freedom meant to him.
Starting point is 00:29:52 In the past, when I interviewed him in prison, someone else told him where to sit and how long he could talk. Today, he could call the shots, he could stand up during the interview, or he didn't have to talk to me at all. I started to laugh, but luckily for me, Crosley did put his microphone back on and sat down to continue our conversation. If it wasn't for my family, I wouldn't be here. My sister, Celestine, she always told me, don't give up. Your day will come.
Starting point is 00:30:31 I used to always say, all right, girl, when I get out, we gonna do things. You know, but that day never came. She died. Crosley's sister Celestine, known as Tina, was buried in a cemetery just down the road from where we were sitting. And this was when Crosley described the boundaries of his freedom during his temporary release. Crosley couldn't visit Tina's grave or go most anywhere else, without special permission from his probation officer.
Starting point is 00:31:04 He was free, but within limits. Show me, where can you go? Right here, right here. I can't go on that sidewalk. What would happen if you went on the sidewalk? Well, that's my borderline. He walked up to an invisible border, a property line between his brother-in-law's house and the neighbors that he couldn't cross.
Starting point is 00:31:25 Show me, take me a little bit where you can go. How far here? About right, about right here. Crosley stood on the grassy edge of the yard right along the sidewalk. I was told I couldn't go to the mailbox and I want to be out here and have this freedom here. If it ain't over 12 yards, I'll take them 12 yards of freedom. He walked across his 12 yards of freedom and then showed me his new jailer.
Starting point is 00:32:01 Here it is right here. This ankle bracelet right here. Crosley pulled down the sock on his right leg and revealed an ankle monitor, a constant reminder that his movements were limited in his home confinement. Crosley though, does that ankle bracelet also remind you that your time home might be temporary. It does. It does. I gotta be honest with you. It does. A week later on April 17, 2021, 48 hours aired our fourth broadcast on Crosley Green's case.
Starting point is 00:32:55 And for the first time since I started reporting on his case back in 1999, I finally got to say the words, Crosley Green is out of prison. But as we've already discussed, Crosley was not truly a free man. He was living in a legal limbo, waiting for the appeals court to make its decision. Still, he moved on with life. He was allowed to get a job as a machinist at a local tech company, while on Sundays
Starting point is 00:33:28 he was permitted to go to church. You walk with my mother, you walk with me. You walk with my mother, you are with me. Crosley knew he was living on borrowed time, and he faithfully followed the rules of his temporary release. Still, he dreamed of the open road. He asked around if anyone was selling a used motorcycle
Starting point is 00:34:00 that he could buy, and he was put in touch with a woman named Kathy Spikes. One of his friends called me asking if I was selling my motorcycle. And I said, I didn't have it, but I would help them look for one if they were serious. And then about two weeks later. We talked over the phone.
Starting point is 00:34:21 And we talked about bike a little bit. We talked for about six hours. He had something about being incarcerated, but didn't tell me full details. Just told me that he was recently released and he was on house arrest. So he couldn't go anywhere and he just wanted to see a different side of life. I mean, did you have some hesitation that you're talking to this man and you enjoy talking to him,
Starting point is 00:34:48 but he's admitting he's under house arrest and he just got out of prison? Didn't that make you pause? A little nervous. Yeah. Yes, but also I'm told not to judge. They hit it off on the phone, talking over the next few weeks.
Starting point is 00:35:06 Finally, Crosley took a chance and asked Kathy if she would meet him in person. I was in a place to where I said, I wanted to be with someone and I did not know who or when or what, but I was kind of open at that point to meeting different people. So I just said, okay.
Starting point is 00:35:24 Kathy decided to take a leap of faith and meet this mystery man she was suddenly drawn to. He wanted a root beer that night. So I took him a root beer. It was June 30th. And then I text my sister, I think I met my husband. You're kidding. That's why I know the date like exactly. The feeling was mutual.
Starting point is 00:35:50 For Crosley, it was love at first sight too. So I meet someone that's going to be a perfect partner for me. And matter of fact, since that first day, she's been right there by my side. Kathy is a certified nurse's aide, quick to smile and laugh. She works at a hospice center caring for the sick and those facing death. She had moved from Ohio to Brevard County after visiting Florida on vacation. Kathy had always put her career first, but when she entered her 40s, she wanted to find love.
Starting point is 00:36:32 She appealed to a higher power. I wrote a letter to my grandmother who's in heaven, asking her whenever she speaks with God, let her know what kind of man I want, what I want as a husband. And two weeks later, he calls. And how did you describe the man you wanted? When I'm weak, he's my strength. When he's weak, I'm his strength.
Starting point is 00:36:58 I have prayed and really asked the Lord to put somebody in my life. You know what I'm saying? And I've told her that, I said, listen, the best thing that ever happened to me was that you got in my life. I said, cause that's the one thing I did ask the Lord for. If I ever get set free, give me somebody that I'm gonna settle down with,
Starting point is 00:37:23 you know, enjoy life with. So both of you separately had prayed that you would find love. Yeah. And you found each other. Yeah. This was a development I never expected. I later asked Cathy about the moment she learned
Starting point is 00:37:41 that he had been in prison for murder and if that caused her to have any second thoughts. I went home and I googled and I'm thinking, oh my goodness, this cannot be true. And I called my sister and told her I was ready to jump ship. But at that time, I've already invested probably three months of just talking and just being around him. And then I was like, okay, the person that I was with was a person that had compassion,
Starting point is 00:38:11 a person of much faith, a person that will give somebody the shirt off their back. You know, the more him and I have spoken about it, I don't believe it at all. Even though Crosley remained under house arrest at his brother-in-law's, that didn't stop him and Kathy from dating like a typical couple. We Netflix and chill. Netflix and chill. Ain't that what we did for the first weeks?
Starting point is 00:38:39 Why you? Why I tell her that? That's the truth. My brother-in-law get a kick out of her and me always enjoying ourselves, laughing, having fun. It's like to him, little teenagers just fall in love. Is that kind of the best way to describe you? Like two teenagers in love?
Starting point is 00:39:03 In a sense. We are just like little teenagers. At times. At times. We were little. But it goes farther than that with me. You know, I think it does with her, too. That teenage love turned into a strong, unshakable bond.
Starting point is 00:39:22 Crosley asked Cathy to marry him. I would have never thought that I would, first of all, fall in love with someone that was accused of such a crime, but let alone, you know, being in love with them to know that that's my husband and willing to stand by that. Neither Crosley nor Cathy wanted to talk about it, but the threat of going back to prison loomed over the couple like a rain cloud. By the beginning of 2022, Crosley was still waiting for the appeals court to make a decision. Would they side with the state and reinstate Crosley's conviction
Starting point is 00:40:08 or rule in Crosley's favor? And even that could present a risk because if the court were to side with Crosley, the state of Florida would have 45 days to decide whether they would recharge and retry him for the murder of Chip Flynn. What I've been telling you for the last 20-something years that I was innocent, I want my day in court to prove that. Okay? Give me my shot to prove that. You still have faith in the system after your first trial?
Starting point is 00:40:46 Of course. Why should I? The court system didn't put me in here. People all put me in here. I really bleed that deep down in my soul. I'm not going back to prison. And then in March 2022, the appellate court finally handed down its decision after almost four years
Starting point is 00:41:08 and Crosley's fate would change yet again. On the finale of Murder in the Orange Grove, the troubled case against Crosley Green. When I first heard about it, you know, I was, I was shocked. Why so much is going against me? Would you feel that sometimes? Just as soon as you make a step forward, there's something that comes... Step backwards. You know, make a step forward, step backwards.
Starting point is 00:41:42 Murder in the Orange Grove was reported by me, Erin Moriarty, alongside producers Alan Peng, Annie Cronenberg, and Allison Bailey. Kiara Norbitz is our coordinating producer, and Florence Burrow-Adams is our story editor. Additional production support from Dylan Gordon, Marlon Policarp, Caroline Casey, and Christine Driscoll. Judy Tigart is the executive producer of 48 Hours. Gail Zimmerman, Asena Basak, Mark Goldbaum, Charlotte Fuller, Judy Rybak, and Steven McCain produced the original 48 Hours episodes.
Starting point is 00:42:20 Associate producers were Michael Loftus and Shaheen Toki. Patty Aronofsky was the senior producer. Special thanks to Megan Marcus, Jamie Benson, Nick Poser, and Gail Spruill. If you like Murder in the Orange Grove, the troubled case against Crosley Green, you can listen to the next episode one week early and ad free by joining 48 hours plus on Apple podcasts or Wondry Plus in the Wondry app. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at Wondry.com slash survey.

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