Material Detail

After being interrogated relentlessly for many hours, four U.S. Navy sailors separately confessed to committing a violent rape and murder despite the lack of any evidence linking them to the crime. Based on their confessions, and despite there being no DNA match at the crime scene, each of the men was sent to prison for the crimes. In this video chapter from The Confessions, students will consider why someone would give a false confession and examine the different types of evidence that can be used to identify perpetrators of a crime.

A 13 minute video clip is provided as well as questions for discussion. There are also links to additional related resources.

There is also a lesson plan for teachers and a student guide.

Disciplines:

• Social Sciences  / Criminal Justice  / Justice System