'Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom' Spotlights Rob Will's 20-Year Death Row Saga

Rob Will was handcuffed when a police officer was shot. There are no eyewitnesses or forensic evidence pointing to his guilt. He has always maintained his innocence. Despite all evidence to the contrary, he was wrongfully convicted and has spent the past two decades on death row in Texas. His story is the subject of the January 6th, 2021 episode of the hit podcast Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom.

In the early hours of December 4th, 2000, Rob Will and Michael Rosario were stripping hubcaps in a suburban Houston neighborhood. Two deputies arrived and chased the men in different directions. After Harris County Deputy Barrett Hill radioed in that he had Rob in custody, his partner lost sight of Rosario. Moments later, gunshots could be heard over the police dispatch.

Rob was arrested in a stolen car about 90 miles west of Houston in possession of a pistol and had a gunshot wound in his left hand. According to Rob, Rosario shot the deputy and Rob's left hand before freeing him from the cuffs. Gunshot residue was detected on his left hand, as it had been shot, but curiously, was absent from his right hand - the one he would have needed to shoot his left. Despite the logical impossibility, Rob was sentenced to death and has spent nearly 2 decades battling through the appeals process.

That process has been fraught with the hallmarks of many wrongful conviction cases - from claims of withheld evidence and ineffective legal representation by state-appointed attorneys to a jailhouse confession by Rosario, who attempted to have Rob killed while they awaited trial. In August 2020, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed that Rob's arguments met all of the requirements to be heard, finally advancing his appeal to the next step.

As he waits for justice from his cell in solitary confinement, Rob maintains his sanity and health by reading, writing, doing yoga, practicing meditation, as well as pouring his soul into vibrant pieces of artwork. In fact, his work has been seen at exhibitions arranged by Jason Flom (with all proceeds going to Rob's legal defense).

Flom, the founder/CEO of Lava Records and a longtime criminal justice advocate, has been personally involved in the cases of hundreds of wrongfully convicted people. He's profiled many of these cases and hosted in-depth interviews with the subjects and their family members on his wildly popular podcast, Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom. The series, which has highlighted the stories of Rodney Reed, Brendan Dassey, The Central Park Five, and more, is a valuable resource for lawyers, criminal justice advocates, future jurors, as well as those who find themselves facing the nightmare of a wrongful conviction.

Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom is produced by Lava For Good Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

Hear Rob Will's story on www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com or on all popular podcast streaming platforms.

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