In the 1970s and 1980s, my father, Sam Merrill, had an interview segment on a local radio show in New York City: Direct News. When he passed away, he left a crate full of vinyl records, each with a radio show on it. I’m digitizing and archiving his interview segments here.
In this five-part interview from Trenton State Prison, my dad speaks with Rubin “Hurricane” Carter about incarceration and systemic barriers to justice.
Carter was arrested in 1966 for a triple homicide. There was no physical evidence tying Carter to the crime, and multiple alibi witnesses placed him elsewhere. The prosecution’s key eyewitnesses were later found to have received inducements for their testimony.
Carter’s prediction was correct: he was eventually released in 1985 after 19 years in prison. He was never pardoned. After his release, Carter moved to Toronto, Canada, and eventually became a Canadian citizen. He directed Innocence Canada until 2005.
