The Last 12 Weeks - Ep. 2

The Last 12 Weeks - Ep. 5

Jun 18, 202639 minSummary

In the final episode of this season, the podcast follows the intense, high-stakes countdown to David Wood’s scheduled execution. The narrative captures the grueling atmosphere of the legal war room as the defense team, led by Greg and Naomi, races against time to file appeals and secure a stay of execution. The episode provides a raw look at the emotional toll on the attorneys, highlighting the complex, non-traditional relationships they form with their clients while balancing their professional duties during a crisis. The legal proceedings take an unexpected turn when the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals acknowledges significant flaws in the state's case but stops short of halting the execution. This leads to a frantic effort by the defense to pivot to other courts. Ultimately, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals grants a stay, providing a moment of profound relief for Wood and his legal team. However, the episode concludes with a somber perspective, balancing the defense's victory against the visceral frustration and grief felt by the victims' families, who remain trapped in a painful cycle of uncertainty as the case remains unresolved.

The Last 12 Weeks - Ep. 4

Jun 18, 202630 minSummary

In the fourth episode of The Last 12 Weeks, the series examines the life and legacy of David Wood, a man currently on Texas death row for a series of murders committed decades ago. The episode explores the tension between Wood’s past as a convicted rapist and his current claim of innocence regarding the desert murders. The narrative features a firsthand account from Christie, a woman raped by Wood when she was thirteen. Christie provides a harrowing tour of their shared El Paso neighborhood, arguing that her proximity to the crimes makes it impossible for Wood to be innocent. Meanwhile, the hosts conduct a rare, high-stakes interview with Wood inside the prison. During the conversation, Wood’s dismissive attitude toward his prior convictions and his theory that he was scapegoated by biased police detectives create a complex, often contradictory portrait of his character. As his execution date nears, the episode highlights the profound difficulty of separating the man’s violent history from the specific evidence of his current case, leaving the listener to grapple with the morality of a justice system that may have condemned a man for the wrong reasons.

The Last 12 Weeks - Ep. 3

Jun 18, 202643 minSummary

In the third episode of this season, the defense team for David Wood faces an intense, high-stakes countdown as the execution date approaches. With only weeks left, lawyers Jeremy and the team embark on a grueling effort to uncover new evidence that might spare their client. Their search leads them to Eddie Barton, a man who decades earlier confessed to similar desert murders. The legal team hopes a breakthrough with Barton could provide the necessary leverage, though the interview proves to be a complex, surreal experience within an assisted living facility. The episode also details the team’s difficult, ethically murky attempts to secure a confession from jailhouse informant Randy Wells, whose testimony was pivotal to Wood’s conviction. As Wells battles terminal illness, the lawyers debate the morality of approaching a dying man. Finally, the team makes a daring, long-shot attempt to meet with Marsha Fulton, the mother of a victim who has become the most vocal advocate for Wood’s execution. This chapter highlights the profound emotional and psychological toll on the attorneys as they navigate these desperate, final avenues to prevent an execution.

The Last 12 Weeks - Ep. 1

Jun 18, 202641 minSummary

In the premiere of the new series, journalist Maury Schriver begins an intense, time-sensitive investigation into the case of David Wood, a man on death row for a series of brutal murders known as the Desert Killer cases. With Wood’s execution scheduled in just seventeen weeks, his persistent defense attorney, Greg Worchuck, reaches out to Schriver, claiming that his client is innocent and that the original conviction was built on fabricated jailhouse testimony and questionable police work. The episode follows Worchuck’s desperate, high-stakes efforts to delay the execution by pushing for modern DNA testing, which has been repeatedly denied by Texas authorities. As Schriver shadows the defense team in El Paso, listeners witness the significant hurdles they face, including a tense, unproductive encounter with the newly elected District Attorney. Despite the public perception of Wood’s guilt—reinforced by his own prior criminal history—Schriver documents the team’s exhausting strategy to uncover new evidence and secure a stay. This episode sets the stage for a dramatic, month-by-month countdown, exploring the tension between the legal system’s finality and the possibility of a catastrophic miscarriage of justice.