Beyond All Repair Ch. 6: Hope

Explicit content warning

04/04/24 • 34 min

5 Listeners

Beyond All Repair

The jury has reached a verdict: Sophia is found guilty of first-degree murder.

At sentencing, Sophia hears victim impact statements, including one delivered by the woman raising her son.

She is sentenced to 43 years in prison, and just as she’s settling into that fate, she gets a call from her lawyer saying that she’s won the right to a new trial.

If you have questions about the case, the people at the center of this story, or anything else about this series, we want to hear them. Email [email protected] with a voice memo or written message.

***

Consider becoming a "BEYOND" member today:

This show is made at WBUR, a public radio station, which means we cannot make shows like this without public support.

Join our "BEYOND" membership program and receive early access to some of the final episodes in the series, extra episodes, and a private feed of the show for ad-free listening: wbur.org/beyond

The jury has reached a verdict: Sophia is found guilty of first-degree murder.

At sentencing, Sophia hears victim impact statements, including one delivered by the woman raising her son.

She is sentenced to 43 years in prison, and just as she’s settling into that fate, she gets a call from her lawyer saying that she’s won the right to a new trial.

If you have questions about the case, the people at the center of this story, or anything else about this series, we want to hear them. Email [email protected] with a voice memo or written message.

***

Consider becoming a "BEYOND" member today:

This show is made at WBUR, a public radio station, which means we cannot make shows like this without public support.

Join our "BEYOND" membership program and receive early access to some of the final episodes in the series, extra episodes, and a private feed of the show for ad-free listening: wbur.org/beyond

Previous Episode

Beyond All Repair Ch. 5: The Motive

1 Recommendations

The prosecution in Sophia’s trial claims greed was her motive for killing Marlyne. Shortly after Sophia and Brad Johnson started dating, Sophia began stealing money from her employer.

Sophia explains how the theft started and quickly spiraled out of control.

By the time of the murder, Sophia was tens of thousands of dollars in debt, with a baby on the way. Was she desperate enough to commit murder?

If you have questions about the case, the people at the center of this story, or anything else about this series, we want to hear them. Email [email protected] with a voice message or written message.

***

Consider becoming a "BEYOND" member today:

This show is made at WBUR, a public radio station, which means we cannot make shows like this without public support.

Join our membership program, "BEYOND" here: wbur.org/beyond

Next Episode

Beyond All Repair Ch. 7: Made Up

2 Recommendations

Amory meets Sophia in person for the first time with a sense of uneasiness.

While in jail awaiting her second trial in 2005, Sophia made a friend who convinced her to testify in her own defense. Today, this friend, Morgen, is Sophia’s life partner.

After getting ahold of the footage of Sophia’s second trial, Morgen and Amory discover that Sophia told a different story about the day of the murder on the stand — one that puts her at the scene.

***

Consider becoming a "BEYOND" member today:

This show is made at WBUR, a public radio station, which means we cannot make shows like this without public support. Join our "BEYOND" membership program and receive early access to some of the final episodes in the series, extra episodes, and a private feed of the show for ad-free listening: wbur.org/beyond