Valentino Dixon: Wrongfully Convicted - Finally Free 27 Years Later — Transcript

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1. 0:00this man Valentino Dixon is asking for
2. 0:02the district attorney to clear him and
3. 0:04Channel 2's Claudia Ewing goes behind
4. 0:06prison walls to ask him some tough
5. 0:08questions while survivors of the
6. 0:10horrific tragedy still believe justice
7. 0:12was served it's a 2 on your side
8. 0:14original story with a number of twists
9. 0:17and turns to understand this story we
10. 0:21have to connect the dots watch closely
11. 0:23this man Valentino Dixon is in prison
12. 0:26for murder yet this man
13. 0:29Lamar Scott claims he's the real killer
14. 0:31the victims toreano Jackson just 17 when
15. 0:34he was killed and his brother Aaron was
16. 0:37also shot but he survived Dixon has
17. 0:40maintained his innocence from day one
18. 0:42yet for 27 years his life has been
19. 0:45behind bars August 10th 1991 you did or
20. 0:49didn't do it I did not shoot anyone I
21. 0:52did not commit this crime this is where
22. 0:54it happened Bailey and East Delavan and
23. 0:56Buffalo back then Louise hotdog was
24. 0:58where a drugstore now stands it was a
25. 1:01popular hangout but this night trouble
26. 1:03was brewing Jackson recalls leaving to
27. 1:06go get his brother and when they
28. 1:07returned it was a street fight that
29. 1:10turned into a homicide and it was a
30. 1:12machine gun that was used my younger
31. 1:15brother was shot 15 to 20 times and I
32. 1:17was shot myself Aaron Jackson considers
33. 1:20himself a living witness a survivor for
34. 1:22him it's hurtful reliving the past but
35. 1:25he is forced to think about his younger
36. 1:27brother Torey never had a chance to be
37. 1:30the light that I knew that he was never
38. 1:32had a chance to be a father
39. 1:33Valentino Dixon has filed a 440 motion
40. 1:36for his murder conviction to be
41. 1:38overturned Valentino Dixon says he did
42. 1:41not do it are you 100% sure 200 you
43. 1:46remember his face it looked like
44. 1:47Valentino Dixon just take accountability
45. 1:50and take responsibility for what you
46. 1:52created
47. 1:54this is what you've created in prison is
48. 1:58where you said I live with the decision
49. 2:00that you made according to Dixon he was
50. 2:03in a nearby store when he heard shots
51. 2:05fired there was a huge crowd and he says
52. 2:07he jumped in his car and took off did
53. 2:10you have a weapon that night and have a
54. 2:12weapon okay
55. 2:13shoot a weapon and have a weapon Buffalo
56. 2:15police eventually pulled him over Dixon
57. 2:17was arrested for the shootings he went
58. 2:20to trial and that's where he believes
59. 2:22the truth didn't come out show me a case
60. 2:25where lead detective doesn't testify in
61. 2:28a murder trial show me a case in America
62. 2:30where eight and nine witnesses is going
63. 2:32to lie about a person committing a crime
64. 2:34especially people want to get all it
65. 2:35doesn't happen he's referring to
66. 2:36witnesses on this list to testify that
67. 2:39he was not the shooter
68. 2:41but they were never called to court some
69. 2:43were charged with perjury there was a
70. 2:45third shooting victim interviewed by
71. 2:47police while still in ICU this police
72. 2:50statement indicates he answered by
73. 2:52nodding that quote Dixon did not shoot
74. 2:54him in 2007 a marine a veteran gave a
75. 2:58statement for the first time saying that
76. 3:00he saw Dixon ducking as if he was trying
77. 3:04to get out of the way he was not
78. 3:06shooting Dixon's clothes were tested for
79. 3:09gun residue no report or testimony in
80. 3:11court showed he had any but this may be
81. 3:14the most head scratching part Lamarr
82. 3:16Scott admitted he was the killer he
83. 3:19first said it in a channel to interview
84. 3:21hours after the homicide in 1991 listen
85. 3:25I don't want to take the rap for
86. 3:27something that
87. 3:28the guy that did the guy that I shot him
88. 3:31and his friends were threatening us all
89. 3:32day long so I wrote home on my bike on
90. 3:35my tennis street and came back with an
91. 3:38Uzi that I've obtained on the street the
92. 3:40reason when he died because I didn't
93. 3:42have any control of the automatic weapon
94. 3:45at all our camera was rolling when he
95. 3:47was taken away but he was released he
96. 3:50recanted claiming the prosecutor made
97. 3:52him change his story Scott is now in
98. 3:55prison for attempted murder but has said
99. 3:57several times in statements to police in
100. 4:002002 and 2006 that he shot and killed
101. 4:03toreano Jackson in 2004 he spoke with
102. 4:07channel 2 speed galavan while in prison
103. 4:10did you shoot a Jackson yes I did
104. 4:13Valentino Dixon is serving a 39 year to
105. 4:16life prison sentence he spent time at
106. 4:18Attica now he's here at Wendy and he's
107. 4:20not eligible for parole until 2030 his
108. 4:24life at the end of 39 I don't see that
109. 4:27he should ever be free Dixon spends
110. 4:30eight to nine hours a day drawing his
111. 4:32artwork has gained national attention by
112. 4:34the Golf Digest because of the golf
113. 4:36courses and he showed us some of his
114. 4:38latest work and while doing so it was
115. 4:41clear and you want out because you say
116. 4:43you did not do all of the paperwork that
117. 4:47he's putting together and show that he
118. 4:50didn't do it
119. 4:51I mean he's pressing hard right there's
120. 4:53a deceptive Enterprise that has been put
121. 4:55together like all of these lies all of
122. 4:58these misleading things all of pointing
123. 5:00over here and looking over there like
124. 5:01it's just he's painting a picture now
125. 5:04the Erie County District Attorney must
126. 5:06consider if newly discovered evidence
127. 5:08and witnesses should be considered for a
128. 5:10hearing that could see Dixon exonerated
129. 5:13including a new statement from Lamarr
130. 5:15Scott that he is the real killer it's
131. 5:18obviously something to to look at but
132. 5:21what about the ballistics though I mean
133. 5:23no gun residue found in that car or on
134. 5:26his clothes
135. 5:26yeah that's a factor when will you make
136. 5:28a decision within a month but if I need
137. 5:30more time and I succour for extension
138. 5:32here's what the DA can do agree with the
139. 5:35motion oppose the motion and consent to
140. 5:37a hearing or deny it and Dixon stays in
141. 5:40prison
142. 5:41we'll be able to decide whether or not
143. 5:43Valentino Dixon walks or stays I
144. 5:47definitely have a major role if I don't
145. 5:50oppose it you're talking about a
146. 5:52wrongful conviction
147. 5:53Noah's righteous justice was served and
148. 5:55I trust and believe that it will
149. 5:57continue to be upheld there are a lot of
150. 6:00people who believe that you did Claudine
151. 6:02they all know I didn't do it
152. 6:04Aaron no I didn't do it and what about
153. 6:07the people who say that you're lying I
154. 6:08don't have no credibility let's get that
155. 6:11straight okay because I can say I'm
156. 6:13innocent all day long I don't have no
157. 6:14credit [ __ ]
158. 6:15the evidence shows you that I'm innocent
159. 6:16evidence there was a lot and that's what
160. 6:20the DA will use to make a decision on
161. 6:22whether or not this man should be set
162. 6:25free I'll hang in there for as long as I
163. 6:27have breath in my lungs he might be a
164. 6:30model prisoner but he was a reckless
165. 6:32citizen connecting the dots in the
166. 6:34search for truth and justice so the key
167. 6:38here is new evidence that is what the
168. 6:40district attorney will concentrate on
169. 6:42that could be a juror coming forth or
170. 6:44new witnesses in fact Flynn tells me if
171. 6:46he believes the motion has merit we
172. 6:48could see a hearing this year we'll have
173. 6:50more from our interviews online this
174. 6:52evening on wgr z comm quoting ewing
175. 6:55channel 2 news in this original report
176. 6:58channel 2's Claudia Ewing explains
177. 7:00what's happening now well Valentino
178. 7:04Dixon get a hearing be released or stay
179. 7:06in prison I have basically the the man's
180. 7:10life in my hands whether or not he gets
181. 7:13out of jail or whether or not he stays
182. 7:14in jail you know God touches all of us
183. 7:16and that you never know what the test is
184. 7:19gonna be or how long that the test is
185. 7:22gonna last you just got to hang in there
186. 7:24after 27 years locked up for a crime
187. 7:28someone else admitted to Valentino Dixon
188. 7:30is a free man tonight
189. 7:32good evening I'm Mary Alice temblor and
190. 7:34hello everyone I'm Scott Levin a 2 on
191. 7:36your side original brought this story
192. 7:38back into the spotlight this year and
193. 7:40today another man pleaded guilty to the
194. 7:43killing and mr. Dixon walked free
195. 7:45our Claudine Ewing story led to this
196. 7:48happening and she was in court today to
197. 7:50see the conclusion this is the
198. 7:5527 years behind bars for murder and now
199. 7:58it's clear Valentino Dixon did not do
200. 8:01the crime this is the greatest feeling
201. 8:03in the world is undescribable and 27
202. 8:07years with his moment this is how it all
203. 8:09unfolded in court this morning
204. 8:11the man who prosecutors say confessed at
205. 8:13least 10 times including twice on camera
206. 8:15to channel 2 but guilty to manslaughter
207. 8:18and assault in connection with the death
208. 8:20of toreano Jackson and wounding others
209. 8:22including Jackson's brother Aaron
210. 8:24no audio could be recorded in the
211. 8:26courtroom Scott said he intended to
212. 8:28shoot people adding I pulled the trigger
213. 8:30and all the bullets came out
214. 8:32unfortunately toreano died within the
215. 8:35hour Valentino Dixon went before the
216. 8:37judge and in court we learned that the
217. 8:38original prosecutors never revealed to
218. 8:41Dix's defense team that tests for gun
219. 8:43residue on Dixon's hands came back
220. 8:45negative the results of the polygraph
221. 8:48tests show that he passed in the sense
222. 8:51that he was telling the truth when he
223. 8:54says when he said that he did not shoot
224. 8:57toreano Jackson outside the courtroom
225. 9:00his daughter you were four months old
226. 9:02when he went to prison what is it gonna
227. 9:04be like to see your dad a free man it's
228. 9:08gonna give us the opportunity to have a
229. 9:10new life and once he was able to walk
230. 9:12out of the courthouse a free man his
231. 9:14mother less than an hour after his
232. 9:18release we got to talk about this case
233. 9:20and his new freedom we had three days
234. 9:22that you know looked into this case and
235. 9:25he didn't go anywhere
236. 9:26you know John Flynn actually put some
237. 9:28effort and to trying to you know
238. 9:30ascertain the truth and it made all the
239. 9:32difference in the world describe that
240. 9:34feeling standing before the judge and
241. 9:35the judge exonerated you I have to be
242. 9:38grateful no events Arbus about it you
243. 9:41know I'm gonna write John Flynn a letter
244. 9:43and thank him because you know not all
245. 9:45DA's judges the prosecutors have the
246. 9:48integrity or the honor to fix the
247. 9:50situation that's wrong Dixon says words
248. 9:53are cheap but action is everything now
249. 9:55he will reconnect with family
250. 9:58now as for Lamar Scott he's been in
251. 10:01prison since 1993 for an unrelated crime
252. 10:04in his sentence for the death of toreano
253. 10:05Jackson will run concurrently Georgetown
254. 10:08University students also played a big
255. 10:10role in working on wrongful convictions
256. 10:12they're uncovering of facts were very
257. 10:14helpful in this push for freedom for
258. 10:16Valentino Dixon
259. 10:17it's amazing Claudine we don't see these
260. 10:19exoneration leader often and what are
261. 10:22mr. Dixon's plans now you know on a
262. 10:24lighter note he says today he's gonna be
263. 10:26celebrating with family they're gonna go
264. 10:27to Red Lobster he is a 90 year old
265. 10:29grandmother he plans on making breakfast
266. 10:31for her tomorrow but more importantly he
267. 10:33says he's gonna be fighting for some
268. 10:35causes especially when it comes to
269. 10:36prison reform and sentencing and we're
270. 10:38gonna have more on that coming up at 6
271. 10:40o'clock
272. 10:40Valentino Dixon can now smile he's a
273. 10:43free man unbelievable he was serving 39
274. 10:47years to life he spent 27 years in
275. 10:49prison at Attica and Wendy all the while
276. 10:52saying he did not murder toreano jackson
277. 10:54today a judge exonerated him of murder
278. 10:57but the gun charge sticks and this man
279. 10:59Lamar Scott who confessed 10 times
280. 11:01including twice to channel 2 that he was
281. 11:04the killer
282. 11:05was charged with manslaughter and
283. 11:07assault and now the Dixon family can
284. 11:09breathe daddy it's time that we start
285. 11:16living life to get there in the real
286. 11:19road she wants to get her dad a cell
287. 11:21phone
288. 11:22Valentino stood before a judge and
289. 11:24because audio was not allowed we can
290. 11:26only show you the crowd applauding as he
291. 11:28was exonerated of murder but outside as
292. 11:32he left the courthouse no longer wearing
293. 11:34prison-issue clothes the cheers were
294. 11:37loud and he had a message prison
295. 11:39rhetoric what the mass incarceration
296. 11:41needs to stop and we need to come up
297. 11:43with a solution on how to you know
298. 11:46render justice for those that's poor
299. 11:48because if you don't have any money in
300. 11:50this system it's hard to get justice
301. 11:52because the system has not equipped or
302. 11:54designed to give a poor person a fair
303. 11:56trial
304. 11:56we got to talk with him briefly after
305. 11:58court I always felt this day would come
306. 12:00but I didn't know when okay because God
307. 12:03always sent me the signs you know every
308. 12:06time I was in the funk or I felt like
309. 12:09you know I can't do it
310. 12:11going in
311. 12:11longer you know God always sent somebody
312. 12:14to help coming out and seeing your
313. 12:17mother that's the best feeling in the
314. 12:19world you know I just look forward to
315. 12:21doing a lot of things that don't
316. 12:23necessarily cost money but just spending
317. 12:25time with them you know I like to cook
318. 12:28so I'm gonna do a lot of cooking you
319. 12:29know and just spend quality time like
320. 12:32now as a free man will include a fight
321. 12:34to change the criminal justice system my
322. 12:37solution for prison reform is to reduce
323. 12:39the sentencing laws
324. 12:40okay the sentencing laws are outrageous
325. 12:42especially in New York State you're
326. 12:44giving people double-time and he's an
327. 12:46artist his colored pencil drawings of
328. 12:48golf courses have been featured in golf
329. 12:50magazines life now will be art and
330. 12:53family after nearly three decades behind
331. 12:56bars a walk in the park with your
332. 12:58daughter who was only four months old
333. 13:00when he went to prison for murder he did
334. 13:02not commit it's just another moment in
335. 13:04time for Valentino Dixon I am been in
336. 13:07the park in 30 years 27 years you know
337. 13:11it's feeling this undescribable man you
338. 13:13know this is peace you know this is a
339. 13:15piece that I'm not used to one day after
340. 13:19Dickson was exonerated of murder charges
341. 13:21he's adjusting to life outside of prison
342. 13:24walls in Buffalo neighborhood was bad
343. 13:27when I left but now it just seems like
344. 13:28your thousand times worse you know and I
345. 13:30wanted to cry but society has changed
346. 13:33the cell phone is the most foreign thing
347. 13:38that you could ever deal with he has to
348. 13:40learn to text and email I was right when
349. 13:43my lawyer from the courthouse to Red
350. 13:44Lobster and he put in the GPS and it was
351. 13:48actually talking to him and telling them
352. 13:49hey you know go up with your block and
353. 13:52I'm like really
354. 13:53during our interview a call from Dallas
355. 13:55from someone Dixon knew in high school
356. 13:57they were both art majors
357. 13:59Gino guess what thank you I think I'm a
358. 14:03better artist than you now you know you
359. 14:06was my hero back then in prison he would
360. 14:09draw up to ten hours a day
361. 14:10many were golf courses other drawings
362. 14:13are now on the walls of his mother's
363. 14:15home he's one of the greatest in the
364. 14:17ring
365. 14:17Oakland Winfrey iconic besides art he
366. 14:21likes to cook I make better macaroni
367. 14:27she's welcoming her son home and his
368. 14:30daughter is in town for the transition
369. 14:43trailer home or to prison father and
370. 14:46daughter time but will you reunite it
371. 14:48you know so come on bring it in