This Netflix True Crime Series Needs A Sequel To Raise Awareness Of A Different Case

Key Takeaways

Robert Roberson faces questionable execution in Texas based on debunked evidence, sparking a race against time.
Netflix could create awareness with a true-crime series based on Roberson’s case to potentially save his life.
John Grisham is pushing to halt Roberson’s execution, as he fights alongside scientists and the innocence project to prove his innocence.

As a devoted fan of John Grisham and true-crime narratives, I wholeheartedly agree that it’s high time for another season of “The Innocent Man.” The case of Robert Roberson is one that leaves me utterly perplexed – how can we stand on the precipice of 2024 and potentially execute a man for a crime that never occurred?

Netflix has a reputation for producing top-notch true-crime documentaries, with one of their best being “The Innocent Man” from 2018. This series was adapted from John Grisham’s book and focused on two individuals who were wrongly convicted. With the ability to bring attention to possible miscarriages of justice, Netflix could benefit from collaborating with John Grisham again, this time on a follow-up to their 2018 streaming success. There is currently a case involving a man named Robert Roberson, who is scheduled for execution on October 17, 2024. Grisham is already actively working on the case in an attempt to save his life, but Netflix could provide additional support if they were to join forces.

Netflix might soon release a gripping true-crime series centered around Robert Roberson’s impending death penalty sentence, offering insights into the intricate case that led to his conviction on death row. The series could also portray the desperate efforts made in an attempt to spare his life. If effectively marketed, this project could generate significant public interest, potentially sparing an innocent man and marking Netflix’s greatest achievement yet.

Robert Roberson Is Set To Be Executed Despite Evidence Suggesting He’s Innocent

This Netflix True Crime Series Needs A Sequel To Raise Awareness Of A Different Case

There’s an urgent need for Netflix to produce a sequel to John Grisham’s “The Innocent Man,” focusing on Robert Roberson’s story, as his execution date in Texas is set for October 17, 2024. However, recent evidence suggests he might be innocent, challenging the shaken baby syndrome (SBS) theory which led to his wrongful conviction. If no intervention occurs from the courts or Governor Greg Abbott, Roberson could become the first American executed based on this now-discredited hypothesis.

In the year 2002, Roberson’s two-year-old daughter, Nikki, who was chronically ill, fell gravely sick with a high fever and suffered a fall from her bed. Unaware of Roberson’s autism, law enforcement mistakenly interpreted his emotional response to Nikki’s condition as indifference. As a result, Roberson was wrongfully arrested, charged, tried, and eventually convicted of murder, receiving a death sentence for Nikki’s demise. New evidence now points towards Nikki’s death being accidental and natural, and there is an urgent race against time to prevent Roberson from being executed.

There is strong support for this case from scientists, doctors, members of the Innocence Project, former judges, the lead detective, and best-selling author John Grisham, who wrote a book titled “The Innocent Man”. Given the current situation, it would be beneficial for Roberson to have a Netflix series produced promptly to highlight his innocence and dispel any misconceptions about him being a ruthless murderer.

Robert Roberson Timeline

Convicted of murder in 2002
Set to die by lethal injection on October 17, 2024

John Grisham Is Fighting Roberson’s Case And An Urgent Sequel To His Netflix True-Crime Series, The Innocent Man Could Potentially Save A Man’s Life

The Innocent Man
Episodes	Debbie and Denice, In Dreams, Rotten to the Core, Corpus Delicti, Smoking Guns and Snow Storm
Air Date	December 14, 2018
Based on the book by	John Grisham

Roberson’s execution by lethal injection, scheduled for October 17, 2024, will proceed unless action is taken to prevent it. His conviction was based on questionable science from the 1970s and there’s a strong possibility that he’s being put to death for a crime that may not have occurred. Isn’t it astonishing that this could happen in the year 2024? Author John Grisham has voiced concern to The Sunday Times, stating that many share his belief that Texas is on the verge of executing an innocent man who was wrongfully convicted.

The extraordinary aspect of Robert’s situation is that he wasn’t accused of committing any crime. In typical capital punishment cases, a murder has occurred and someone stands charged, but in Robert’s case there was no crime at all. Yet, we are on the brink of executing someone for it in Texas. It’s incredibly frustrating.

Collaboratively, Grisham and Netflix might produce a swift documentary to mount pressure on those in power to rectify the absurd predicament. Lawyers for Roberson have submitted a 62-page clemency plea to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, appealing for his death penalty to be reduced. This petition represents Roberson’s final opportunity with the courts or Governor Greg Abbott of Texas having direct control over his fate. Additionally, Grisham stated:

I’m deeply troubled by these situations, finding it hard to move on. They constantly linger in my thoughts. The case of Roberts, for instance, is particularly distressing given the limited time left, while we possess undeniable scientific evidence exonerating him from killing Nikki.

In a departure from his usual fiction work, John Grisham’s upcoming book titled “Framed” is a fact-based true crime narrative set for release just two days before Roberson’s scheduled execution date. Similar to his acclaimed true-crime novel, “The Innocent Man,” this new work delves into the issue of wrongful convictions. Grisham weaves together ten gripping tales about individuals who were unjustly convicted by a system tainted by racism, corruption, and unreliable testimonies. Here’s to hoping that by the time readers get their hands on the book, Roberson will have received a reprieve from execution, and his story may one day be told in a Netflix series.

John Grisham Key Facts

No 1 Bestseller of over 30 books
He was a lawyer for over a decade.
His new book Framed is out on October 15, 2024

Watch The Innocent Man On Netflix Now

2024-10-07 03:03