Show Notes
Kalamazoo Cold Case detectives question Scott Baldwin about the night Earl O’Byrne was killed—but they don’t think he’s telling the truth. Scott shares his side of the story with Susan and Jacinda. Plus, the Proof team speaks with a current Kalamazoo Circuit Court judge about another troubling case: his former client, Roberto D’Avanzo, who was convicted 24 years after his girlfriend’s murder—despite an alibi that seems impossible to ignore.
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More from Proof: A True Crime Podcast
On today’s Sidebar, we talk to Eric Anderson, who was a college freshman when he was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree armed robbery, assault and illegal use of a weapon. Despite having an alibi—and video showing he was elsewhere at the time of the robbery—Eric was found guilty and sentenced to 15 to 22 years in prison. He fought to prove his innocence, and with the help of the Michigan Innocence Clinic, his conviction was overturned in 2019. Today, Eric works with the Organization of Exonerees, helping others who have faced similar injustices.
LaVone Hill spent 22 years in prison for a double murder he did not commit. While incarcerated, he met Scott Baldwin, and the two bonded over walks in the yard, sharing case law. In October 2024, LaVone was exonerated—his conviction vacated, and his freedom restored. On this week’s Sidebar, LaVone shares his story, reflects on his friendship with Scott, and describes what it meant to stand in the courtroom as an exoneree at Scott’s resentencing.
Scott Baldwin knew he wasn’t alone—he believed there were others like him who had been wrongfully convicted. In this third season of Proof, we heard many of those stories, along with a shocking revelation about why a key witness never testified in one of Kalamazoo’s most horrific murder cases.
In the final episode of Proof: Murder at the Bike Shop, the team uncovers letters and documents suggesting a conspiracy that may have reached the highest levels of Kalamazoo’s legal system—one aimed at preventing a key eyewitness from testifying in one of the county's most horrific murder trials. Nearly two decades later, what does this mean for the five Polderman defendants?
Two tips that were never investigated could have changed everything in Scott Baldwin’s case. It’s too late for Scott—but not for the truth. Susan, Jacinda, and Kevin reflect on his final days—and the frustration of knowing the evidence that could have proven his innocence was there all along. In searching for answers, the team may have uncovered evidence that could help other Cold Case defendants.