Life and Death Row
Series 2
A BBC documentary that follows the lives of three American citizens on death row.
Where to Watch Series 2
4 Episodes
- Execution
E1Episode 1ExecutionOn March 11 2009, Daniel Lopez was pulled over for driving erratically. The dramatic car chase that ensued killed a police officer and 27-year-old Daniel was given the death penalty. Unusually for a death row prisoner, he is resisting all appeals to block his execution - which is due in five weeks time. The state-appointed attorneys for Lopez are arguing that their client is using the justice system as a form of suicide. His family are also pleading with him to fight the execution and stay alive for them. With access to Daniel, his lawyers, his parents and the widow of the police officer that Daniel killed, this film follows the lead up to 'execution day'. Will Daniel go to his death, as he insists he wants to do, or will the people who love him be able to save him? - PunishmentE2
Episode 2PunishmentIn April 2013, 18-year old Shawn Ford Jr was charged with killing his girlfriend's parents with a sledgehammer. Now he is on trial for his life and a jury of twelve ordinary people must decide whether he should live or die. This film follows the court case from the inside, as both the family of the victims and the defendant struggle to come to terms with such a horrific crime. But it is the jurors who must ultimately decide Shawn's fate. As the details of the shocking murders mount, can an impassioned plea for mercy from Shawn's mother save her son's life? - TruthE3
Episode 3TruthIn January 2014, in small town America, 18 year old Justin Back is brutally murdered in his own home. Two friends - Austin Myers and Tim Mosley, both 19, are arrested and charged with his murder. Both give very different stories. Who is telling the truth? What will they individually do to save themselves from the ultimate punishment - the death penalty? With access to the filmed confessions of both boys, this film shines a disturbing light on the American criminal justice system.