AJC reporter Joshua Sharpe began investigating the 35-year history of the double murder of Harold and Thelma Swain last summer to determine whether the man in prison for the crimes could be innocent. Dennis Perry, who was convicted nearly 20 years ago, has always maintained his innocence. And his lawyers at the Georgia Innocence Project and the King & Spalding law firm had filed a petition for his release, citing new evidence.
Sharpe examined the 6,000-page investigative file and listened to a 24-hour-plus podcast about the case. He interviewed dozens of people across South Georgia and North Florida. They included Perry and two men who were suspects in the case at one time because they allegedly previously claimed to have committed the murders. Sharpe also spoke to sources who know those men, investigators who worked the case, relatives of the victims and many others.
"The Imperfect Alibi" is a reconstruction of the murders and the 18-year-long police investigation that ended with Perry's conviction. It is brought to you by these members of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newsroom:
REPORTER Joshua Sharpe covers crime and public safety for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. LEAD EDITOR Jan Winburn has worked for CNN, The Baltimore Sun and other newsrooms around the country.
PRINT PRESENTATION: Liam Miller, Mike Perkins, Sabrina Starrett-Wolff
DIGITAL PRESENTATION: Angel Brooks, Lauren Colley, Pete Corson, Jason Foust, Pilar Plata, Melanie Stolte, Dave Young
PODCAST: Bria Felicien, Bill Rankin
PROMOTION, SOCIAL, SEARCH: Kelly Audette, Drue Miller, Brian O'Shea
EDITING: Janel Davis, Bill Rankin, Susan Hogan, Jennifer Brett
VISUALS: Sandra Brown, Ryon Horne, Tyson Horne, Hyosub Shin
LEADERSHIP: Leroy Chapman, Amy Chown, Shawn McIntosh, Monica Richardson, Kevin Riley, Mark Waligore