BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH ABOUT THEIR
LONG QUEST FOR JUSTICE.
>> Reporter: IT’S BEEN WEEKS
SINCE PROTESTERS STARTED TAKING
TO THE STREETS BUT THE VIDEOS
KEEP COMING, FUELING THE OUTRAGE
OVER POLICE BRUTALITY.
LIKE THIS BODY CAM FOOTAGE FROM
NORTH TULSA, OKLAHOMA, LAST
WEEK.
A BLACK TEENAGER FURSORCEFULLY
ARRESTED FOR JAY WALKING.
>> WHY ARE YOU PUTTING YOUR
HANDS ON ME?
>> Reporter: COREY AT CONTINUE
SON IS FROM THE SAME PART OF
TOWN.
AND HE REMEMBERS GROWING UP
UNDER THE SUSPICIOUS EYE OF THE
MEESE.
POLICE.
THAT IS BEFORE THEY PUT HIM AWAY
FOR LIFE FOR A MURDER HE SWEARS
DID HE
HE DID NOT COMMIT.
IS THERE A POINT OVER THE LAST
20 PLUS YEARS YOU THOUGHT I’M
GOING TO DIE HERE?
>> TIMES WHEN YOU GET DENIED IN
COURT, YOU FEEL LOW.
YOU JUST WANT TO SAY GIVE
SOMETIMES.
>> Reporter: WHAT WAS YOUR
LOWEST POINT?
>> IT WAS PROBABLY IN SITUATIONS
WHEN I WANTED TO BE OUT THERE
WITH MY DAUGHTER AND HELP HER
BUT I COULDN’T.
>> Reporter: COREY’S DAUGHTER
COURTNEY WAS BORN A FEW MONTHS
AFTER HIS FATHER STARTED HIS LIFE SENTENCE.
LIFE SENTENCE.
>> IT FEELS LIKE I WAS FAILING
HER.
IT FELT LIKE IT WASN’T EVEN MY
FAULT.
>> Reporter: A 2017 STUDY OF THE
NATIONAL EXONERATION REGISTRY
SHOWS THAT INNOCENT BLACK PEOPLE
ARE SEVEN TIMES MORE LIKELY TO
BE CONVICTED OF MURDER THAN
INNOCENT WHITE PEOPLE.
TULSA DEFENSE LAWYER JOE NORWOOD
WAS CONVINCED COREY IS ONE OF
THEM.
HE TRACKED DOWN A MAN WHO SAID
POLICE THREATEN HIM WITH JAIL
TIME WHEN HE WAS 15 YEARS OLD.
IF HE DIDN’T SAY COREY WAS THE
SHOOTER.
>> PART WAY THROUGH THE
TESTIMONY HE GOES, YOU KNOW
WHAT?
I CAN’T DO THIS.
WHAT I JUST TESTIFIED TO ISN’T
THE TRUTH.
I WAS TOLD TO SAY IT BY THESE
DETECTIVES.
I DIDN’T SEE COREY DO ANYTHING.
>> Reporter: TWO OTHER
EYEWITNESSES ALSO TOLD NORWOOD
THEY HAD BEEN PRESSURED TO LIE
ON THE STAND.
NORWOOD KNEW WHAT THAT WAS.
>> A PATTERN OF CONDUCT.
A PATTERN OF HOW TO GAIN
CONVICTION.
>> WHILE COREY LANGUISHED IN
PRISON, ANOTHER NORTH TULSA MAN
NAMED MALCOLM SCOTT INSISTED FOR
MORE THAN 20 YEARS THAT HE, TOO,
HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF MURDER
BASED ON FORCED TESTIMONY.
UNBELIEVABLY MALCOLM WAS COREY’S
YOUNGER BROTHER.
>> DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR
BROTHER TOLD US THAT HE FEELS
PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU GOING
TO PRISON?
>> I MEAN, THERE IS NO BLAME ON
MY BROTHER AT ALL.
I DEFINITELY CAN’T HOLD HIM
RESPONSIBLE FOR SOMETHING THAT I
DIDN’T EVEN DO MYSELF.
>> Reporter: WITNESSES AGAINST
MALCOLM ALSO RECANTED.
IT WAS TIME FOR BOTH BROTHERS TO
HAVE ANOTHER DAY IN COURT.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN THEIR
CASES CAME BEFORE JUDGE AGAIN?
MALCOLM AND COREY HAD A DEAL.
>> WE BACTIONSICALLY MADE A PACT
EACH OTHER.
OF WE SAID, MAN, WHOEVER GETS
OUT OF HERE FIRST, THEY’RE GOING
TO
TO GET THE OTHER ONE.
>> THE TULSA POLICE DEPARTMENT
DID NOT RESPOND TO OUR REQUEST.
THEY DENIED THEY COERCED ANY
WITNESSES.
THE WE SHOT THAT STORY LONG
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, HENCE, NO
SOCIAL DISTANCING OR MASK
WEARING, SAVANNAH.
BUT LAST FIVE YEARS, 328 PEOPLE
WRONGFULLY CONVICTED OF MURDER,
328 EXONERATED.
>> IT’S A STORY THAT COULD BE
TOLD AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
AND THIS ONE IS SO PROFOUND.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A WHOLE SPECIAL
ON IT IF PEOPLE WANT TO SEE HOW
THIS TURNS OUT.
>> TONIGHT.
"DATELINE" SPECIAL.
"THE LONG ROAD TO FREEDOM"
TONIGHT AT 10:00 EASTERN, 9:00
CENTRAL.