Trace of Doubt
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Trace of Doubt
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Narrated by:
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Samantha Weinberg
About this listen
In the summer of 1985, a brilliant young British DNA scientist Helena Greenwood is found murdered in her front garden in a quiet suburb in California. The police believe they know the killer’s identity but there’s no evidence against him, and the only thing linking him to the crime is the fact he’d been charged with sexually assaulting Helena just a few months previously. Fifteen years later the case is reopened and after a breakthrough in DNA evidence, David Paul Frediani is re-investigated, convicted and sentenced to life in prison. It was almost as if Helena was pointing to her killer from beyond the grave, using the very scientific technology she had spent her life working on. Author Samantha Weinberg has been fascinated by this case, writing an award-winning book about the tragic sequence of events. She’s spent time with the man convicted of the murder and was utterly convinced of his guilt. But, in 2018, she received a letter from a jailhouse lawyer, a fellow inmate of Frediani that would blow the case apart. Together, they reopen the investigation, embarking on a shocking journey to discover the truth - in the process uncovering systematic failings and abuses in the American criminal justice system.
Content Warning: This series contains strong language and graphic descriptions of violence and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised. If you have been affected by any of the themes in this series, please find below links to organisations that can help you:
sexualabusesupport.campaign.gov.uk/#support
rapecrisis.org.uk
www.thesurvivorstrust.org
www.rainn.org
Episode 1: DEAD WALKING TALKING
In August 1985, Dr Helena Greenwood’s body is found in the front garden of her cottage in southern California. The police believe they know who killed her, a handsome financial advisor named David Paul Frediani. But there is nothing to tie him to the murder scene. The case is filed: unsolved.
Episode 2: POETIC JUSTICE
There have been extraordinary breakthroughs in DNA science. Fifteen years after the murder, the sheriff’s cold case team reopens the investigation, and, using DNA, they catch their killer. Samantha Weinberg becomes fascinated by the case. She returns to San Diego for Frediani’s trial.
Episode 3: SEEDS OF DOUBT
Samantha visits Frediani in prison, where he is serving a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. He insists he didn’t kill Helena Greenwood, and that he was framed. Buried deep in the investigation files, she finds a letter which suggests his conviction may be unsafe.
Episode 4: THE JAILHOUSE LAWYER
In 2018, Samantha is contacted by Dustin, a jailhouse lawyer, who has himself been in prison for 45 years. He is helping Frediani, and says that, using the letter Samantha found, he thinks he can get Frediani’s case reopened. Dustin and Samantha launch parallel investigations.
Episode 5: THE PUNCHBOWL
Samantha returns to San Diego. She learns about suspect practices at the sheriff’s department crime lab, and delves into the case of Jane Dorotik, who was convicted of murder at around the same time as Frediani, and who has just been exonerated, because of mistakes at the same lab. Does it help to understand Frediani’s case?
Episode 6: THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY
Samantha and Dustin pick through the case files and each find bits of evidence that don’t add up. Doubt about Frediani’s conviction keeps growing. Dustin is trying to get him a new trial.
Episode 7: BROKEN DOWN
Samantha visits Frediani in prison. He’s ill, but still protesting his innocence and excited about Dustin’s work. The cops open the old files for her, and some of her questions are answered. But two witnesses throw a new light on what happened.
Episode 8: CALLING TIME
Frediani’s health is failing. He is waiting to hear about his new trial. But Samantha has some tricky questions for him. Dustin has positive news. Samantha pays her respects at Helena’s grave, in the New Forest. And comes to a surprising conclusion.
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What listeners say about Trace of Doubt
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Fiona S
- 11-12-23
Goes In A Circle
Firstly, I never noticed the background music that many have complained about?
Yet another self-indulgent podcast strung out and which comes back to the original verdict. The police must get fed up of podcasters thinking they can overturn all the 'miscarriages of justice' when all they do is come to the same conclusion after a lot of waffle.
Samantha is obviously completely fooled & taken in by Frediani and to a certain extent Dustin (oh it's OK killing a man & stealing his money, it could happen to anyone-poor Dustin). These people are murderers, psycho/sociopaths who are experts at fooling people. She gives Dustin a lot more credit than he's due-he's obviously very biased & quite amateurish.
Also-Frediani masturbates in front of a 13 year old girl, his girlfriend tries to persuade her parents to drop the charges -this is barely mentioned, only at the beginning & the end - he claims he was having a wee (unbelievable!).
She also glosses over the original sexual assault & it isn't clear whether she thinks he's guilty or not-even though he admits in court that he did it.
It made me very angry in places - please, leave crime solving to the police. It is very self-indulgent as many others have pointed out.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- East Stander
- 29-11-23
A rollercoaster
I got really caught up in this story and was hooked till the end and still don't know what to think. (Reasonable doubt?)
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- RichieBBB
- 29-11-23
Lots of ponies, dramatic surroundings and inconclusions
Good journalistic investigation, marred by novelist intentions.
Far too “objectively“ framed
Author is clearly in love with the original defendant. (Which the developing storyline seemingly enlightened with the gradual decline of his mention).
Author waxes about her children and husband early on. The affects of this on them…
No summary of that at the end?
I’m guessing that all broke down due to her obsession with the murder/SA crim. (I nearly coined him as a suspect. 🙃)
80% awesome tbf.
Good job.
But stop falling in love with the subjects. 🙏
Report with sincerity and with a happy home life. Happy in the sense of familial content. Ideally.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S. Rifflart
- 23-11-23
Thus was a rollercoaster of doubt
Very good investigation into an awful crime. Nothing is straight forward here. One minute definitely guilty the next if not innocent then certainly doubt
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chris
- 28-11-23
Gripping
Loved the twists and turns. Fascinating. More like this please. Excellent production. An education. Ace.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- N. White
- 03-12-23
Brilliant
Brilliantly done, narrated so well, concise and engaging , thank you for a very well constructed audiobook
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 13-12-23
interesting listen
only fault i had was sound would go quiet at parts then back to normal like a fault in the recording as it was during a single sentence in section of recording.
otherwise I felt it flowed nicely, was easy to follow and informative. it got you thinking about the justice system and the whole guilty vs not guilty aspect
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- L M.
- 08-01-24
First rate Presentation and narrative production.
The lead narrator was first class and the introduction of other voices gave the story width and impetus. Highly recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 23-01-24
Superb insight to a case which does create doubt and second thoughts.
Fascinating case and one that will stay with me. The preformance and delivery of the story was fantastic really sympathetic and thought provoking.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Gayle Taylor
- 17-06-24
Still don't know who dunnit
This is a great true life story and goes through the fallibility of the police and Forensic services. It closely follows one particular case and conviction, showering doubt on the crime and how safe the outcome is.
I enjoyed the unfolding of the story, it takes place over many years. But ultimately we get not real conclusion.
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