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00:00:04,713 --> 00:00:06,506
[Paola]              
       Smugglers in the Caribbean

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00:00:06,548 --> 00:00:08,466
have been trafficking migrants 
            from the islands

3
00:00:08,508 --> 00:00:10,343
into the U.S. for generations.

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00:00:14,639 --> 00:00:16,474
[Paola]   They're not only      
      just doing it for the money

5
00:00:16,516 --> 00:00:17,976
but also because they can     
          get away with it.

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00:00:18,018 --> 00:00:19,686
I can't speculate as        
   to what's in a smuggler's head,

7
00:00:19,728 --> 00:00:21,354
and we're gonna do our best    
             to stop them.

8
00:00:21,396 --> 00:00:23,106
[Paola]   Do you think        
          they have any clue?

9
00:00:24,899 --> 00:00:26,317
[Dexter]              
        When the police tell you

10
00:00:26,359 --> 00:00:27,527
you're gonna be          
          held responsible

11
00:00:27,569 --> 00:00:28,695
for the death of A'Donte,

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00:00:28,737 --> 00:00:29,821
what was going through       
             your mind?

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00:00:34,117 --> 00:00:36,745
This is all because        
   of a rule called felony murder.

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00:00:36,786 --> 00:00:39,539
If someone dies while       
      a felony's being committed,

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00:00:39,581 --> 00:00:41,249
then everyone who was involved 
             in that felony

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00:00:41,291 --> 00:00:43,043
can be held responsible.

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00:00:43,084 --> 00:00:44,878
What did you think was an     
   appropriate punishment for him?

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00:00:44,919 --> 00:00:46,546
Burglary.

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00:00:46,588 --> 00:00:48,590
It may not be           
           your child today,

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00:00:48,631 --> 00:00:50,258
but tomorrow            
        it can very well be.

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00:00:50,300 --> 00:00:53,219
dramatic music

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00:01:04,606 --> 00:01:06,399
[people shouting]

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[Paola]              
       Off the coast of Florida,

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U.S. law enforcement       
              authorities

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are constantly chasing      
          modern-day pirates,

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smugglers bringing migrants    
       in the country illegally.

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This onslaught of boats      
               is coming

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from all over the Caribbean,   
       but the best launch point

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lies just 50 miles off      
             Miami's coast.

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The island of Bimini       
             in the Bahamas

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is what's known as        
        the gateway to America,

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00:02:01,246 --> 00:02:03,414
a mere two-hour trip by boat.

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Under the cover of night,

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clandestine launches       
             like this one,

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filmed earlier this summer    
        from an abandoned pier,

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00:02:14,259 --> 00:02:15,969
show the beginning        
              of the quiet

37
00:02:16,010 --> 00:02:18,471
and often             
         successful operations.

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We later learned         
        that these four migrants

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made it safely          
         to the United States.

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[boat engine revving]

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00:02:44,372 --> 00:02:47,041
But that's not always       
               the case.

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[reporter]             
     A stunning site on the water,

43
00:02:48,710 --> 00:02:51,546
when a boat leads police     
            on a wild chase.

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On board, a group of migrants

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trying to make it         
           to South Florida.

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[officer] They are now       
     crashing into the sea wall.

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[Paola]              
       Smugglers in the Caribbean

48
00:02:59,762 --> 00:03:01,598
have been trafficking migrants 
            from the island

49
00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:03,892
into the U.S.           
            for generations,

50
00:03:03,933 --> 00:03:06,644
dodging both Bahamian       
         and U.S. authorities.

51
00:03:06,686 --> 00:03:08,479
But with             
         an increased crackdown

52
00:03:08,521 --> 00:03:11,608
along the U.S.-Mexico border   
        over the past two years,

53
00:03:11,649 --> 00:03:14,027
the numbers here         
             have exploded.

54
00:03:14,068 --> 00:03:16,362
The U.S. Coast Guard says     
             it has stopped

55
00:03:16,404 --> 00:03:19,198
four times as many migrants    
          from Cuba and Haiti

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00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,368
since October           
         than all of last year.

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[smuggler]             
          They can't stop it.

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00:03:26,581 --> 00:03:28,333
They only can slow it down.

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When you see boats moving     
            in the night,

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they're not going fishing.

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[Paola]   We were able to make    
        contact with a smuggler.

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He arranges and executes     
     illegal crossings to Florida,

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usually at night.

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We agreed not to show       
      his face or reveal his name.

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What do you use to navigate    
              at night?

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My eyes.

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[Paola]              
          Do you use a GPS?

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Not really,            
     'cause GPS gets you caught.

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-Do you use lights?        
                -No.

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So you use your eyes?       
             That's it.

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[smuggler] Yeah.          
     I can run off the compass.

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Like, I know exactly what star   
            to look for.

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Like, see,             
       y'all can't see it now,

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because the Moon is out,

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but the Big Dipper's        
            right there.

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00:04:00,865 --> 00:04:03,117
And the Big Dipper sits      
      really close to the Moon.

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-[Paola] Yeah.           
      -So you can basically run

78
00:04:05,203 --> 00:04:07,497
and just keep the Moon in     
    the middle of the Big Dipper.

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You can't miss it.

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00:04:09,332 --> 00:04:12,877
At this point, how many runs    
   do you think you've done total?

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00:04:12,919 --> 00:04:14,254
Put it like this--

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I've been running         
    for over 22 years by myself.

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Prior to that, I was doing it   
           with my uncles

84
00:04:21,052 --> 00:04:22,845
and, like, older cousins.

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How much does each migrant     
             have to pay

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in order to get          
      into one of these boats?

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A Haitian will pay,        
            like, 4,500.

88
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A Jamaican will pay, like,     
            4,500, 6,500.

89
00:04:34,941 --> 00:04:38,403
And say, like,           
   we like to say "white people,"

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they're spending, like,      
         12 grand, 16 grand,

91
00:04:41,322 --> 00:04:43,449
sometimes almost 20 grand     
             per person.

92
00:04:43,491 --> 00:04:46,119
Now, when you get         
          into that level,

93
00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,454
you're not just dropping off--   
         you're delivering.

94
00:04:48,496 --> 00:04:51,624
So it's, like--          
         let's say Chinese.

95
00:04:51,666 --> 00:04:53,793
You don't drop Chinese off     
            on the beach.

96
00:04:53,835 --> 00:04:56,421
Somebody has to be there      
          to pick them up,

97
00:04:56,462 --> 00:04:58,298
and then they store them      
           somewhere else.

98
00:04:58,339 --> 00:05:00,091
And then              
      the Chinese people come,

99
00:05:00,133 --> 00:05:02,844
and then they pay you more,    
   and then they get their people.

100
00:05:02,885 --> 00:05:05,263
I imagine not everyone       
          has a life vest.

101
00:05:05,305 --> 00:05:08,099
[smuggler] Nah, not everybody,   
        sometimes nobody--me.

102
00:05:08,141 --> 00:05:10,810
[Paola] And in the course     
       of that hour and a half

103
00:05:10,852 --> 00:05:13,980
that it takes you to get there, 
    how are the migrants feeling?

104
00:05:14,022 --> 00:05:16,399
[smuggler] It's normally be    
    a lot of praying and talking,

105
00:05:16,441 --> 00:05:18,401
and you don't know         
    what the hell they be saying.

106
00:05:18,443 --> 00:05:20,445
So I just normally be telling   
             everybody,

107
00:05:20,486 --> 00:05:23,197
"Stop praying. Stop talking.    
     Do that shit in your head."

108
00:05:23,239 --> 00:05:26,075
[Paola]   Bimini smugglers      
            don't need faith

109
00:05:26,117 --> 00:05:27,493
to make the crossing.

110
00:05:27,535 --> 00:05:30,079
Piracy is in their blood.

111
00:05:30,121 --> 00:05:34,167
In the 1600 and 1700s       
     pirates like Sir Francis Drake

112
00:05:34,208 --> 00:05:37,128
and Blackbeard used the      
     island's proximity to the U.S.

113
00:05:37,170 --> 00:05:39,422
to hide treasures         
        and capture their prey.

114
00:05:39,464 --> 00:05:41,507
In more recent history,

115
00:05:41,549 --> 00:05:44,469
smugglers transported cocaine   
       during the crack epidemic

116
00:05:44,510 --> 00:05:46,346
and booze             
         on boats like this one

117
00:05:46,387 --> 00:05:48,348
during Prohibition.

118
00:05:48,389 --> 00:05:51,809
Today human trafficking      
      is their business of choice.

119
00:05:51,851 --> 00:05:54,145
It can be more lucrative     
           than moving drugs

120
00:05:54,187 --> 00:05:56,022
and carries lighter sentences.

121
00:05:56,064 --> 00:05:59,567
So what makes the difference    
   between a successful operation

122
00:05:59,609 --> 00:06:00,943
and an operation that fails?

123
00:06:00,985 --> 00:06:03,237
You just got to go         
    out there and figure it out.

124
00:06:03,278 --> 00:06:05,782
If you don't leave two o'clock, 
      you're gonna get caught,

125
00:06:05,823 --> 00:06:07,450
because by the time        
       that you get to Miami,

126
00:06:07,492 --> 00:06:08,743
it's gonna be daytime.

127
00:06:08,785 --> 00:06:11,954
So the drone, the jet,       
           and the chopper

128
00:06:11,996 --> 00:06:14,207
know exactly            
      what they're looking for.

129
00:06:14,248 --> 00:06:16,709
But in the night, you can just 
      drop them off on the beach.

130
00:06:16,751 --> 00:06:17,835
Every boat looks white.

131
00:06:22,924 --> 00:06:25,510
[Paola]   Despite all        
     their technology and manpower,

132
00:06:25,551 --> 00:06:27,970
the American Coast Guard     
          is still struggling

133
00:06:28,012 --> 00:06:30,014
to stay one step         
             ahead of them.

134
00:06:30,056 --> 00:06:31,599
[Benjamin]   It's an ongoing     
       cat-and-mouse game, right?

135
00:06:31,641 --> 00:06:33,643
That's the nature         
        of criminal networks,

136
00:06:33,684 --> 00:06:35,144
and that's the nature       
         of law enforcement.

137
00:06:35,186 --> 00:06:36,896
But many              
      do still get away, right?

138
00:06:36,938 --> 00:06:38,689
I mean, we were there,

139
00:06:38,731 --> 00:06:41,859
and we were able to talk      
    to some smugglers in Bimini,

140
00:06:41,901 --> 00:06:43,736
who told us that they're not    
         only just doing it

141
00:06:43,778 --> 00:06:45,905
for the money but also because   
     they can get away with it.

142
00:06:45,947 --> 00:06:47,824
I'd love if you'd give me     
            those names.

143
00:06:47,865 --> 00:06:49,909
-That'd be great.         
   -Why don't you have the names?

144
00:06:49,951 --> 00:06:52,578
[person] All right, so we work   
   with the Bahamian authorities.

145
00:06:52,620 --> 00:06:54,872
-Great.              
         -We can't get into

146
00:06:54,914 --> 00:06:56,666
as in depth as you're trying    
          to get with us...

147
00:06:56,707 --> 00:06:57,708
-[Paola] Okay.           
        -...because we're not

148
00:06:57,750 --> 00:06:59,502
the people on land         
           in the Bahamas

149
00:06:59,544 --> 00:07:00,795
-[Paola] Yeah, and...       
            -Yeah, so...

150
00:07:00,837 --> 00:07:02,964
That's fine. I'm not here     
       trying to catch anyone.

151
00:07:03,004 --> 00:07:04,507
We're just explaining       
            what we saw,

152
00:07:04,549 --> 00:07:05,925
and based on the ground--

153
00:07:05,967 --> 00:07:07,051
[Benjamin] No, and so       
        to give you an answer

154
00:07:07,093 --> 00:07:08,469
to that question is,        
          I can't speculate

155
00:07:08,511 --> 00:07:10,221
as to what's in          
         a smuggler's head.

156
00:07:10,263 --> 00:07:12,640
I'm gonna put my forces where   
    I see that there's a threat,

157
00:07:12,682 --> 00:07:14,267
and we're gonna do our best    
            to stop them.

158
00:07:14,308 --> 00:07:17,103
What is the danger         
     that migrants and smugglers

159
00:07:17,145 --> 00:07:20,314
are taking when they decide    
    to come to the United States?

160
00:07:20,356 --> 00:07:22,525
[Benjamin] I've spent over half 
        of my career at sea.

161
00:07:22,567 --> 00:07:23,901
I know how dangerous

162
00:07:23,943 --> 00:07:25,736
the sea can be           
     for a professional mariner.

163
00:07:25,778 --> 00:07:27,655
It's unforgiving, and       
    it can change in an instant.

164
00:07:27,697 --> 00:07:28,823
And the people that are loading

165
00:07:28,865 --> 00:07:30,867
onto these unsafe         
        and unseaworthy craft

166
00:07:30,908 --> 00:07:32,618
and attempting to make       
           those crossings

167
00:07:32,660 --> 00:07:33,995
are absolutely at risk.

168
00:07:34,036 --> 00:07:36,664
But is Bimini           
      at all uniquely different

169
00:07:36,706 --> 00:07:38,583
from other sort of routes     
      that smugglers are taking

170
00:07:38,624 --> 00:07:40,084
to come to the United States?

171
00:07:40,126 --> 00:07:41,461
[Benjamin] I think, really,    
        a lot of it has to do

172
00:07:41,502 --> 00:07:42,795
with that proximity piece.

173
00:07:42,837 --> 00:07:44,797
And when you look         
        at the overall volume

174
00:07:44,839 --> 00:07:47,967
of boat traffic that's crossing 
   the Florida Straits from Bimini

175
00:07:48,009 --> 00:07:50,302
to the U.S. and back and forth, 
        on any given weekend,

176
00:07:50,344 --> 00:07:52,221
it's easy to blend in       
         with that traffic,

177
00:07:52,263 --> 00:07:54,682
if there were illicit actions   
              going on.

178
00:07:56,309 --> 00:07:58,644
[Paola]   Bimini is an oasis     
             for tourists.

179
00:07:58,686 --> 00:08:01,230
On any given weekend,       
     fishermen and college students

180
00:08:01,272 --> 00:08:04,442
come from Miami by boat,     
      unknowingly providing cover

181
00:08:04,484 --> 00:08:07,069
for smugglers who can slip    
       into the traffic pattern.

182
00:08:07,110 --> 00:08:09,197
And it's even worse        
            on Spring Break.

183
00:08:09,238 --> 00:08:11,157
[people cheering]

184
00:08:11,199 --> 00:08:12,908
Why did you choose         
      the Bahamas specifically?

185
00:08:12,950 --> 00:08:13,910
[Adam]               
              It's easier.

186
00:08:13,951 --> 00:08:15,620
We drove to Lauderdale,

187
00:08:15,661 --> 00:08:17,747
got on this boat.

188
00:08:17,788 --> 00:08:21,125
The price was, like,        
        700 bucks to do this.

189
00:08:21,167 --> 00:08:22,460
You can't complain.

190
00:08:22,502 --> 00:08:24,253
[party music plays]

191
00:08:24,295 --> 00:08:26,255
[Paola]   Smugglers will even use 
             luxury yachts

192
00:08:26,297 --> 00:08:27,798
to appear             
         like American tourists

193
00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:29,300
and evade suspicion,

194
00:08:29,342 --> 00:08:31,302
while hiding migrants       
              below deck,

195
00:08:31,344 --> 00:08:34,180
and the partiers around them   
              have no idea

196
00:08:34,222 --> 00:08:36,724
they are helping conceal     
         the illicit activity.

197
00:08:36,766 --> 00:08:39,644
dramatic music

198
00:08:39,685 --> 00:08:42,188
Migrants looking for smugglers 
          come here from Cuba,

199
00:08:42,230 --> 00:08:44,357
the Dominican Republic,      
          and primarily Haiti

200
00:08:44,398 --> 00:08:46,067
to be taken to the U.S.

201
00:08:46,108 --> 00:08:48,986
While they wait for passage,   
         restaurants feed them,

202
00:08:49,028 --> 00:08:50,530
and some residents        
              are paid off

203
00:08:50,571 --> 00:08:52,198
to hide them in their homes.

204
00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:55,535
A local source told us that    
    there may be Haitian migrants

205
00:08:55,576 --> 00:08:58,037
in these houses          
        that are to my left.

206
00:08:58,079 --> 00:09:00,373
These are houses that look     
        completely abandoned.

207
00:09:00,414 --> 00:09:02,792
So we're assuming         
      that these may be houses

208
00:09:02,833 --> 00:09:06,963
where Haitians are holding     
        before being smuggled

209
00:09:07,004 --> 00:09:08,172
to the United States.

210
00:09:10,424 --> 00:09:11,968
In communities like this one,

211
00:09:12,009 --> 00:09:14,512
finding a smuggler        
       to get you off the island

212
00:09:14,554 --> 00:09:17,390
is about word of mouth      
        and making connections.

213
00:09:19,392 --> 00:09:21,310
The Haitian residents       
              we spoke to

214
00:09:21,352 --> 00:09:23,980
did not want to go on camera   
      for fear of being arrested.

215
00:09:54,969 --> 00:09:57,430
[Paola]              
        Accidents at sea happen

216
00:09:57,471 --> 00:09:59,432
and almost always turn      
              to tragedy.

217
00:09:59,473 --> 00:10:01,434
The Coast Guard tonight      
        has launched a search

218
00:10:01,475 --> 00:10:04,186
for 39 people reported missing   
            after a boat

219
00:10:04,228 --> 00:10:07,607
believed to be piloted      
      by human smugglers capsized.

220
00:10:07,648 --> 00:10:10,443
[Paola]   Just last month,      
      another boat bound for Miami

221
00:10:10,484 --> 00:10:13,946
from the Bahamas sank,      
       killing 16 Haitian adults

222
00:10:13,988 --> 00:10:15,531
and one child.

223
00:10:15,573 --> 00:10:19,952
The time is never right      
    to attempt migration by sea.

224
00:10:19,994 --> 00:10:23,122
To those who risk their lives   
              doing so,

225
00:10:23,164 --> 00:10:25,625
this risk is not worth taking.

226
00:10:25,666 --> 00:10:27,043
[Paola]   Last summer

227
00:10:27,084 --> 00:10:28,210
Homeland Security Director

228
00:10:28,252 --> 00:10:29,462
Alejandro Mayorkas

229
00:10:29,503 --> 00:10:31,130
warned migrants          
            against the risk

230
00:10:31,172 --> 00:10:33,591
of attempting the journey.

231
00:10:33,633 --> 00:10:35,801
But the number of migrants    
           intercepted at sea

232
00:10:35,843 --> 00:10:37,970
has continued to grow.

233
00:10:38,012 --> 00:10:40,848
[person]              
        speaking Haitian Creole

234
00:11:01,494 --> 00:11:03,287
[Paola]              
        In the past three years,

235
00:11:03,329 --> 00:11:05,164
half of this           
     Haitian church's congregation

236
00:11:05,206 --> 00:11:08,668
has left and attempted      
          the journey by sea.

237
00:11:08,709 --> 00:11:11,587
Wilcum Derilus fled Haiti

238
00:11:11,629 --> 00:11:13,422
and has witnessed         
      their desperation firsthand.

239
00:11:13,464 --> 00:11:15,716
[Wilcum]              
        speaking Haitian Creole

240
00:11:27,395 --> 00:11:30,815
Do you personally know anyone   
      that has drowned or died

241
00:11:30,856 --> 00:11:32,692
attempting to reach        
         the United States?

242
00:11:32,733 --> 00:11:34,985
[Wilcum] Yes.

243
00:11:35,027 --> 00:11:36,153
-My best friend.          
            -[Paola] Mm.

244
00:11:36,195 --> 00:11:37,196
Yeah.

245
00:11:37,238 --> 00:11:40,157
speaking Haitian Creole

246
00:11:55,256 --> 00:11:57,216
[Paola]   With hundreds       
        of thousands of dollars

247
00:11:57,258 --> 00:11:58,384
on the table,

248
00:11:58,426 --> 00:12:00,845
smugglers have no reason     
                to stop.

249
00:12:00,886 --> 00:12:02,930
Before you take these trips    
         to the United States,

250
00:12:02,972 --> 00:12:04,598
do you warn migrants        
           about the risk

251
00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:05,641
that they're about to take?

252
00:12:05,683 --> 00:12:06,767
[smuggler] I don't warn them.

253
00:12:06,809 --> 00:12:08,728
I just asked them,         
          could they swim?

254
00:12:08,769 --> 00:12:10,896
And if they say no,        
       I'm not carrying them.

255
00:12:10,938 --> 00:12:12,732
I don't do kids and teenagers.

256
00:12:12,773 --> 00:12:14,150
Because you're scared       
     when you take those trips--

257
00:12:14,191 --> 00:12:15,568
[smuggler]             
           I'm not scared.

258
00:12:15,609 --> 00:12:17,319
If you fall overboard       
      and drown, that's on you.

259
00:12:17,361 --> 00:12:19,238
You already know the risks     
             of coming.

260
00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,407
You know the risks         
      of getting in this boat.

261
00:12:21,449 --> 00:12:24,493
Everybody's heard some, like,   
       really fucked-up story

262
00:12:24,535 --> 00:12:26,871
about somebody dying,

263
00:12:26,912 --> 00:12:29,749
the boat flipped over,       
             et cetera.

264
00:12:29,790 --> 00:12:32,418
But you still want         
            to go, right?

265
00:12:32,460 --> 00:12:35,713
So accept the fact that that    
    shit can happen to you, too.

266
00:12:35,755 --> 00:12:38,883
So, so long as you get       
       a profit from migrants,

267
00:12:38,924 --> 00:12:40,426
you'll keep on trying to make   
            that journey?

268
00:12:40,468 --> 00:12:42,178
[smuggler]             
              Exactly.

269
00:12:42,219 --> 00:12:44,388
As long as you get the money,   
     you do what you got to do.

270
00:12:44,430 --> 00:12:47,266
dramatic music

271
00:12:50,352 --> 00:12:53,439
[birds chirping]

272
00:12:53,481 --> 00:12:56,442
somber music

273
00:13:06,202 --> 00:13:07,995
[sighs]

274
00:13:08,037 --> 00:13:10,456
I'm gonna miss you         
           so much, 'Donte

275
00:13:13,209 --> 00:13:14,919
It makes me angry         
           all over again

276
00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:17,421
just thinking about it.

277
00:13:17,463 --> 00:13:19,465
They just don't give a damn    
           about our life,

278
00:13:19,507 --> 00:13:23,302
just killing us          
         like it ain't shit

279
00:13:23,344 --> 00:13:25,554
and getting away with it.

280
00:13:25,596 --> 00:13:27,306
officer] Isn't that the car?

281
00:13:27,348 --> 00:13:29,892
[Dexter]   Seven years ago,     
           A'Donte Washington

282
00:13:29,934 --> 00:13:33,103
and a group of four other boys 
         entered an empty house

283
00:13:33,145 --> 00:13:36,315
in a predominantly white     
           suburb in Alabama.

284
00:13:36,357 --> 00:13:37,650
They were stealing things,

285
00:13:37,691 --> 00:13:40,152
like TVs and Xbox games.

286
00:13:40,194 --> 00:13:43,572
Police arrived,          
       and one entered the house.

287
00:13:43,614 --> 00:13:44,490
Shots were fired...

288
00:13:44,532 --> 00:13:45,991
[gunshot]

289
00:13:46,033 --> 00:13:47,493
...including, police say,     
              by A'Donte.

290
00:13:47,535 --> 00:13:48,994
[gunshots]

291
00:13:49,036 --> 00:13:50,996
A'Donte ran            
           into the backyard,

292
00:13:51,038 --> 00:13:53,707
where he was shot and killed   
             by an officer.

293
00:13:56,210 --> 00:13:59,046
The police officer was cleared 
           of any wrongdoing

294
00:13:59,088 --> 00:14:00,673
and was never charged.

295
00:14:00,714 --> 00:14:04,426
Instead, murder charges fell   
          on each of the boys.

296
00:14:04,468 --> 00:14:07,847
Now, this is all because      
   of a rule called felony murder,

297
00:14:07,888 --> 00:14:09,223
which says             
        that if somebody dies

298
00:14:09,265 --> 00:14:11,100
while a felony           
         is being committed,

299
00:14:11,141 --> 00:14:12,768
then everybody who was involved 
            in that crime

300
00:14:12,810 --> 00:14:14,562
can be held responsible.

301
00:14:14,603 --> 00:14:18,148
Most murder charges require    
       proof of intent or malice,

302
00:14:18,190 --> 00:14:20,943
but felony murder radically    
        expands that definition

303
00:14:20,985 --> 00:14:23,445
so that if a qualifying felony 
              takes place,

304
00:14:23,487 --> 00:14:25,447
you can be charged        
           even if the death

305
00:14:25,489 --> 00:14:27,324
is caused by a third party.

306
00:14:27,366 --> 00:14:29,159
And since it falls        
           under the umbrella

307
00:14:29,201 --> 00:14:30,870
of the traditional definition   
               of murder

308
00:14:30,911 --> 00:14:32,329
the sentence in most states

309
00:14:32,371 --> 00:14:34,039
can go up to life         
            without parole,

310
00:14:34,081 --> 00:14:35,499
a similar punishment

311
00:14:35,541 --> 00:14:37,668
to if you'd pulled        
         the trigger yourself.

312
00:14:37,710 --> 00:14:39,128
And so, across the country,

313
00:14:39,169 --> 00:14:41,338
people who never committed    
               a homicide

314
00:14:41,380 --> 00:14:43,465
are being sentenced        
             as murderers.

315
00:14:43,507 --> 00:14:45,676
Last month six teenagers      
           allegedly tried

316
00:14:45,718 --> 00:14:47,052
to break into a car.

317
00:14:47,094 --> 00:14:49,221
The owner shot and killed     
            one of them.

318
00:14:49,263 --> 00:14:51,640
The five other teens       
            were all charged

319
00:14:51,682 --> 00:14:53,058
with the boy's murder.

320
00:14:53,100 --> 00:14:54,393
[reporter]             
         Tonight Madison police

321
00:14:54,435 --> 00:14:56,020
are searching           
            for two suspects

322
00:14:56,061 --> 00:14:57,521
at the center           
          of an armed robbery.

323
00:14:57,563 --> 00:15:01,025
The victim was literally      
          scared to death.

324
00:15:01,066 --> 00:15:03,319
[reporter]   Those actions      
          now have Madison PD

325
00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:05,738
calling              
       for felony murder charges.

326
00:15:05,779 --> 00:15:08,490
[Dexter]   The concept or charge   
            of felony murder

327
00:15:08,532 --> 00:15:10,910
is as old             
         as the country itself.

328
00:15:10,951 --> 00:15:13,287
And of the 48 states       
        with felony murder laws

329
00:15:13,329 --> 00:15:16,540
on the books, in 13 of them,   
           you can be charged

330
00:15:16,582 --> 00:15:19,543
even if it's the cops       
           that kill someone.

331
00:15:19,585 --> 00:15:21,754
That's what happened       
           to LaKeith Smith.

332
00:15:21,795 --> 00:15:24,882
[scissors snipping]

333
00:15:24,924 --> 00:15:26,717
[BronTina]             
       I'm gonna make a shirt.

334
00:15:26,759 --> 00:15:30,095
I'm gonna place a picture     
   of my son LaKeith on the shirt.

335
00:15:30,137 --> 00:15:31,764
It will look like that.

336
00:15:31,805 --> 00:15:33,515
[Dexter]   LaKeith Smith       
      was the youngest of the boys

337
00:15:33,557 --> 00:15:34,767
who was in the house that day

338
00:15:34,808 --> 00:15:36,685
when A'Donte Washington      
               was killed

339
00:15:36,727 --> 00:15:38,395
He was 15 at the time,

340
00:15:38,437 --> 00:15:41,398
and he was sentenced       
              to 65 years.

341
00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:42,775
If he serves           
           his full sentence,

342
00:15:42,816 --> 00:15:44,234
how old would he be        
          when he gets out?

343
00:15:44,276 --> 00:15:46,236
Old.

344
00:15:46,278 --> 00:15:48,364
And I'd be dead.

345
00:15:48,405 --> 00:15:51,367
My mom would be dead.       
          My dad'd be dead.

346
00:15:51,408 --> 00:15:55,120
Like, most of them         
       that he knows as family

347
00:15:55,162 --> 00:15:57,039
would be dead.

348
00:15:57,081 --> 00:16:00,793
So, even to come home at 73,    
     what is he coming home to?

349
00:16:00,834 --> 00:16:03,671
What did you think was an     
   appropriate punishment for him?

350
00:16:03,712 --> 00:16:05,422
Burglary.

351
00:16:05,464 --> 00:16:07,549
And I think it was, like,     
            three to ten

352
00:16:07,591 --> 00:16:08,926
or something like that,      
           I think it is.

353
00:16:08,968 --> 00:16:12,596
If this crime says         
      that you get three years,

354
00:16:12,638 --> 00:16:15,099
then, damn it,           
   you gonna get them three years.

355
00:16:15,140 --> 00:16:18,894
And he ended up getting 65     
     and then down to 55 years.

356
00:16:18,936 --> 00:16:21,480
Right, only because        
        they're able to throw

357
00:16:21,522 --> 00:16:23,190
that murder in there.

358
00:16:23,232 --> 00:16:26,068
Sentencings are under way     
          in Elmore County

359
00:16:26,110 --> 00:16:28,445
for the defendants         
     in the felony murder cases.

360
00:16:28,487 --> 00:16:30,322
[Dexter]   LaKeith,         
        who had charges pending

361
00:16:30,364 --> 00:16:31,991
from a previous case,

362
00:16:32,032 --> 00:16:34,742
was the only one of the boys   
          to plead not guilty.

363
00:16:34,785 --> 00:16:36,787
He went to trial before      
           an all-white jury,

364
00:16:36,828 --> 00:16:38,664
and he lost.

365
00:16:38,706 --> 00:16:39,748
[Dexter]              
       What was the plea deal?

366
00:16:39,789 --> 00:16:41,583
-What were they offering?     
             -Like, 25.

367
00:16:41,625 --> 00:16:43,335
Yeah, I think it was, like,    
              25 years.

368
00:16:43,376 --> 00:16:45,837
-What did he tell you?       
     -He's just not gonna do it.

369
00:16:45,879 --> 00:16:47,964
It wasn't really, say,       
           about the time.

370
00:16:48,007 --> 00:16:49,674
It was about the fact that now   
         you want me to say

371
00:16:49,717 --> 00:16:51,802
I killed my friend out there.

372
00:16:51,844 --> 00:16:54,471
He was shot and killed       
        by a police officer.

373
00:16:54,512 --> 00:16:56,640
-It was a principle thing?     
               -Yeah.

374
00:16:56,682 --> 00:17:00,602
I always told LaKeith       
          about the system,

375
00:17:00,644 --> 00:17:03,147
'cause we have people in it.

376
00:17:03,188 --> 00:17:05,190
Once they get           
         their hands on you,

377
00:17:05,232 --> 00:17:07,484
there's nothing I can do      
               or say,

378
00:17:07,526 --> 00:17:09,194
nothing I can do or say.

379
00:17:10,654 --> 00:17:12,740
[Leroy]              
     When you take a case like this

380
00:17:12,781 --> 00:17:15,159
in a hotly conservative state,

381
00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:17,661
a law-and-order county,

382
00:17:17,703 --> 00:17:21,165
you end up with essentially    
          a death sentence.

383
00:17:21,206 --> 00:17:22,833
[Dexter]              
       Leroy Maxwell is a lawyer

384
00:17:22,875 --> 00:17:25,544
who's now working         
        on LaKeith Smith's case.

385
00:17:25,586 --> 00:17:28,130
He says it's not just       
      the length the sentence is.

386
00:17:28,172 --> 00:17:30,966
It's also the sort of people   
       that felony murder charges

387
00:17:31,008 --> 00:17:32,342
tend to target.

388
00:17:32,384 --> 00:17:34,136
Most jurisdictions        
            don't track data

389
00:17:34,178 --> 00:17:36,388
on how felony murder is used.

390
00:17:36,430 --> 00:17:38,766
But there have been        
          independent studies

391
00:17:38,807 --> 00:17:41,101
that track convictions,      
              sentencing,

392
00:17:41,143 --> 00:17:42,895
and actual imprisonment,

393
00:17:42,936 --> 00:17:45,272
and they all show         
           that felony murder

394
00:17:45,314 --> 00:17:48,567
is overwhelmingly applied     
          to non-white people.

395
00:17:48,609 --> 00:17:50,569
It's the perfect

396
00:17:50,611 --> 00:17:53,155
prosecutorial tool

397
00:17:53,197 --> 00:17:56,658
to sweep as many folks up     
             as possible

398
00:17:56,700 --> 00:17:59,411
and brand them as murderers.

399
00:17:59,453 --> 00:18:01,413
Were you surprised         
     when you heard the verdict?

400
00:18:01,455 --> 00:18:04,166
[Leroy] I was not surprised    
           of the verdict.

401
00:18:04,208 --> 00:18:07,336
I was surprised          
         by the sentencing.

402
00:18:07,377 --> 00:18:09,463
Why does a sentence happen     
             like that?

403
00:18:09,505 --> 00:18:12,382
Alabama is a state

404
00:18:12,424 --> 00:18:15,511
where our elected officials

405
00:18:15,552 --> 00:18:19,973
are put on a pedestal       
    if they're tougher on crime.

406
00:18:20,015 --> 00:18:23,560
If the players involved      
             are police

407
00:18:23,602 --> 00:18:25,187
versus young Black men,

408
00:18:25,229 --> 00:18:28,774
we sort of know where       
    the dominoes are gonna fall.

409
00:18:28,816 --> 00:18:30,984
[Dexter]              
        Over the past few years

410
00:18:31,026 --> 00:18:34,029
the racially biased trends    
         and extreme sentencing

411
00:18:34,071 --> 00:18:36,156
associated with felony murder   
             have motivated

412
00:18:36,198 --> 00:18:37,574
at least seven states

413
00:18:37,616 --> 00:18:38,742
to attempt to change all

414
00:18:38,784 --> 00:18:39,785
or parts of

415
00:18:39,827 --> 00:18:41,036
felony murder laws.

416
00:18:41,078 --> 00:18:42,412
But the opposition to those

417
00:18:42,454 --> 00:18:44,206
changes has been strong.

418
00:18:44,248 --> 00:18:46,959
That's partially         
       because state prosecutors

419
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:48,961
aren't interested

420
00:18:49,002 --> 00:18:51,588
in having one of their most    
       powerful tools taken away.

421
00:18:51,630 --> 00:18:54,299
[Eric] Is it an easier theory   
        of liability to prove

422
00:18:54,341 --> 00:18:56,218
than, for example,         
           normal murder?

423
00:18:56,260 --> 00:18:58,303
100%,               
     because all you have to do

424
00:18:58,345 --> 00:19:00,806
is prove the underlying felony.

425
00:19:00,848 --> 00:19:03,433
Did they intend to commit     
             a robbery?

426
00:19:03,475 --> 00:19:06,603
[Dexter]   Eric Siddall is      
      a prosecutor in Los Angeles,

427
00:19:06,645 --> 00:19:08,772
and things have recently     
             changed here.

428
00:19:08,814 --> 00:19:12,359
In 2018 California amended    
        their felony murder laws

429
00:19:12,401 --> 00:19:14,236
This restricted the kinds     
              of offenses

430
00:19:14,278 --> 00:19:16,280
that were eligible        
             for the charge

431
00:19:16,321 --> 00:19:18,740
and allowed hundreds of people 
     who'd recently been imprisoned

432
00:19:18,782 --> 00:19:20,909
for felony murder         
         to petition the courts

433
00:19:20,951 --> 00:19:23,036
for relief            
         or reduced sentences.

434
00:19:23,078 --> 00:19:25,122
Eric and a lot          
           of his colleagues

435
00:19:25,164 --> 00:19:27,416
say that this was a bad idea.

436
00:19:27,457 --> 00:19:29,001
What is the argument

437
00:19:29,042 --> 00:19:31,962
for keeping felony murder laws   
            on the books?

438
00:19:32,004 --> 00:19:34,214
The argument is that you want   
     to hold people accountable

439
00:19:34,256 --> 00:19:36,466
for the consequences        
          of their actions.

440
00:19:36,508 --> 00:19:40,429
Not every crime ends        
      with the intended crime.

441
00:19:40,470 --> 00:19:42,556
There are certain times      
       where an intended crime

442
00:19:42,598 --> 00:19:45,142
leads to other           
          horrible results.

443
00:19:45,184 --> 00:19:48,228
I think the most noteworthy    
     case is in the Arbery case.

444
00:19:48,270 --> 00:19:51,356
[Dexter]              
          In February of 2020,

445
00:19:51,398 --> 00:19:53,692
Ahmaud Arbery was jogging     
          in his neighborhood

446
00:19:53,734 --> 00:19:55,903
when he was attacked       
          by three white men.

447
00:19:55,944 --> 00:19:57,738
[gunshot]

448
00:19:57,779 --> 00:20:00,282
Only one of those men fired    
       the shot that killed him,

449
00:20:00,324 --> 00:20:02,701
but because of Georgia's     
           felony murder law,

450
00:20:02,743 --> 00:20:06,330
the other two men were also    
        given similar sentences

451
00:20:06,371 --> 00:20:08,498
They're now looking        
           at life in prison.

452
00:20:08,540 --> 00:20:10,709
[crowd cheering]

453
00:20:10,751 --> 00:20:13,712
I never thought          
        this day would come.

454
00:20:13,754 --> 00:20:14,713
But God is good.

455
00:20:14,755 --> 00:20:15,839
[person] Amen.

456
00:20:15,881 --> 00:20:17,633
[Dexter]              
          The sense of justice

457
00:20:17,674 --> 00:20:20,719
that a lot of people felt     
       at that verdict was real.

458
00:20:20,761 --> 00:20:23,513
So, for a lot of prosecutors,

459
00:20:23,555 --> 00:20:26,225
this verdict is          
     the success story to point to

460
00:20:26,266 --> 00:20:28,977
to argue that felony murder    
             needs to stay.

461
00:20:29,019 --> 00:20:31,230
And Eric says           
        that if the Arbery case

462
00:20:31,271 --> 00:20:32,689
had happened in California,

463
00:20:32,731 --> 00:20:34,983
that punishment          
       would have been different.

464
00:20:35,025 --> 00:20:37,736
They would have been charged    
   with simple false imprisonment.

465
00:20:37,778 --> 00:20:39,613
They would be looking       
        at a maximum sentence

466
00:20:39,655 --> 00:20:41,073
of three years,

467
00:20:41,114 --> 00:20:44,534
and they would only serve     
         about 50% of that.

468
00:20:44,576 --> 00:20:48,205
-So out in a year and a half.   
               -Right.

469
00:20:48,247 --> 00:20:51,917
I think people           
    would be extremely indignant

470
00:20:51,959 --> 00:20:53,460
and offended by that.

471
00:20:53,502 --> 00:20:55,754
If we want to reform        
           felony murder,

472
00:20:55,796 --> 00:20:58,966
the reform should not be      
   about abolishing the doctrine.

473
00:20:59,007 --> 00:21:01,176
You want your sentences      
         to be proportional.

474
00:21:01,218 --> 00:21:02,761
Keep the doctrine

475
00:21:02,803 --> 00:21:05,973
and then make sure that      
     it's administered properly.

476
00:21:06,014 --> 00:21:07,766
[Dexter]              
       But even if states change

477
00:21:07,808 --> 00:21:09,601
the length of sentences,

478
00:21:09,643 --> 00:21:11,853
that wouldn't change       
         the pattern of people

479
00:21:11,895 --> 00:21:14,940
who are usually targeted     
      with felony murder charges.

480
00:21:14,982 --> 00:21:17,401
Leroy Maxwell           
           says that pattern

481
00:21:17,442 --> 00:21:20,195
is something deeply embedded   
             in the system.

482
00:21:20,237 --> 00:21:23,615
[Leroy]   LaKeith Smith was     
      sentenced to die in prison,

483
00:21:23,657 --> 00:21:27,411
and it came down          
         to a societal issue

484
00:21:27,452 --> 00:21:30,455
that we see when it comes     
       to race and sentencing.

485
00:21:30,497 --> 00:21:33,792
There's more to this        
   than just guilt and innocence.

486
00:21:33,834 --> 00:21:35,711
There's so much at play

487
00:21:35,752 --> 00:21:38,964
that started 1,000 years      
            before that,

488
00:21:39,006 --> 00:21:43,427
from slavery to Black codes    
   to Jim Crow to over-sentencing,

489
00:21:43,468 --> 00:21:44,636
the War on Drugs,

490
00:21:44,678 --> 00:21:48,098
the demonization          
        of Black, young men.

491
00:21:48,140 --> 00:21:49,850
I imagine for LaKeith,

492
00:21:49,891 --> 00:21:53,103
that entire burden came down    
       on him in that moment,

493
00:21:53,145 --> 00:21:54,813
and he realized          
        that this isn't just

494
00:21:54,855 --> 00:21:56,690
about whether I pulled       
         the trigger or not.

495
00:21:56,732 --> 00:21:59,359
There's so much more to it.

496
00:21:59,401 --> 00:22:02,112
tense music

497
00:22:02,154 --> 00:22:03,739
[Dexter]   Since I've been here   
              in Alabama,

498
00:22:03,780 --> 00:22:05,615
the one person I haven't      
       been able to speak with

499
00:22:05,657 --> 00:22:07,659
is LaKeith Smith himself.

500
00:22:07,701 --> 00:22:09,494
So he's locked up in there.

501
00:22:09,536 --> 00:22:11,246
And the state intends       
        to keep him locked up

502
00:22:11,288 --> 00:22:13,040
until he's 70 years old.

503
00:22:13,081 --> 00:22:15,125
We have put in requests      
   to film an interview with him.

504
00:22:15,167 --> 00:22:16,543
The warden said no.

505
00:22:16,585 --> 00:22:18,170
The Department of Corrections   
          hasn't responded

506
00:22:18,211 --> 00:22:19,463
to our requests.

507
00:22:19,504 --> 00:22:22,007
So the only thing left       
          is a phone call.

508
00:22:23,550 --> 00:22:25,010
Hey, LaKeith, can you hear me?

509
00:22:26,803 --> 00:22:27,971
When the police tell you

510
00:22:28,013 --> 00:22:29,848
that you're gonna be held     
             responsible

511
00:22:29,890 --> 00:22:31,767
for the death of A'Donte,

512
00:22:31,808 --> 00:22:33,101
what was going           
         through your mind?

513
00:22:44,488 --> 00:22:46,531
When they handed down       
           that sentence,

514
00:22:46,573 --> 00:22:48,408
what was going through       
             your mind?

515
00:22:50,035 --> 00:22:51,870
You were laughing.         
            Why is that?

516
00:22:59,086 --> 00:23:01,380
Is there anything that you     
    would want to say to A'Donte?

517
00:23:06,551 --> 00:23:07,594
Sorry? Why is that?

518
00:23:12,307 --> 00:23:14,851
[indistinct chatter,        
          person laughing]

519
00:23:14,893 --> 00:23:17,145
'Donte, you got your        
     whole family here with you.

520
00:23:17,187 --> 00:23:20,273
[indistinct chatter]

521
00:23:20,315 --> 00:23:22,150
[Dexter] Do you blame LaKeith   
        for your son's death?

522
00:23:22,192 --> 00:23:23,735
[Vernice] No.

523
00:23:23,777 --> 00:23:26,238
He asked me, did I blame him?   
      And he kept apologizing.

524
00:23:26,279 --> 00:23:29,491
I told him,            
   "No, I don't blame you at all,

525
00:23:29,533 --> 00:23:31,326
"'cause you ain't the one     
          that killed him.

526
00:23:31,368 --> 00:23:33,161
"And I don't think         
       you should be in there

527
00:23:33,203 --> 00:23:35,414
"for my baby murder, when you   
    not the one that killed him."

528
00:23:35,455 --> 00:23:38,500
You want LaKeith          
            to come home.

529
00:23:38,542 --> 00:23:40,919
I feel like he shouldn't do    
            another day,

530
00:23:40,961 --> 00:23:43,422
-and he needs to come home.    
          -[Dexter] Right.

531
00:23:43,463 --> 00:23:46,758
LaKeith Smith filed        
           an appeal in 2018.

532
00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:48,885
That was denied.

533
00:23:48,927 --> 00:23:50,929
His new attorney has filed    
            another petition

534
00:23:50,971 --> 00:23:52,347
for a retrial.

535
00:23:52,389 --> 00:23:53,723
But there's no guarantee

536
00:23:53,765 --> 00:23:56,017
that that one           
        will go through either.

537
00:23:56,059 --> 00:23:58,937
Still,              
      his family hasn't given up.

538
00:24:00,647 --> 00:24:01,648
[BronTina]             
         Everybody outside?

539
00:24:01,690 --> 00:24:04,151
[Dexter]              
        This is the eighth year

540
00:24:04,192 --> 00:24:06,027
that LaKeith's mom        
      is celebrating his birthday

541
00:24:06,069 --> 00:24:07,154
without him.

542
00:24:07,195 --> 00:24:10,115
But this year she's not alone.

543
00:24:10,157 --> 00:24:12,242
LaKeith's case          
        has also gotten support

544
00:24:12,284 --> 00:24:15,454
of the family members       
           of Breonna Taylor,

545
00:24:15,495 --> 00:24:19,332
Jacob Blake, and George Floyd.

546
00:24:19,374 --> 00:24:21,418
[BronTina]             
   I appreciate all the love, man.

547
00:24:21,460 --> 00:24:23,670
Listen, we gonna get        
     these babies some justice.

548
00:24:23,712 --> 00:24:25,547
-That's right.           
      -From A'Donte to LaKeith.

549
00:24:25,589 --> 00:24:28,508
But God gave my boy a heart    
               to say,

550
00:24:28,550 --> 00:24:30,469
"No, I'm not gonna take      
             this plea.

551
00:24:30,510 --> 00:24:32,471
I'm not gonna take this deal."

552
00:24:32,512 --> 00:24:34,723
We gonna fight this thing.     
         We gonna fight it.

553
00:24:34,764 --> 00:24:36,558
It may not be           
          your child today.

554
00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:37,934
-Whoo.               
        -[person] Yes, Lord.

555
00:24:37,976 --> 00:24:39,728
It may not be           
         your nephew today,

556
00:24:39,769 --> 00:24:42,898
your daughter today,        
      your homegirl time today,

557
00:24:42,939 --> 00:24:44,941
but tomorrow            
       it could very well be.

558
00:24:44,983 --> 00:24:46,401
[person]              
     That's right. That's right.

559
00:24:46,443 --> 00:24:49,321
dramatic music