Tonight, The Real Story With Maria Elena Salinas pores over the case of Davontae Sanford, a Detroit resident who was wrongfully convicted at age 14 of killing four people in a drug house.
The new series on Investigation Discovery wonders how Sanford was capable of drawing a detailed — and accurate — sketch of the crime, if he wasn’t actually behind it.
“Maria Elena Salinas exposes the answer to that question, opening up a unique view of justice and life on the streets,” says a press release hyping the episode, titled Failure of Justice.
The mass murder occurred in September 2007 at a drug house in East Detroit. A shooting at the house claimed the lives of four and injured a fifth individual.
Police focused their investigation on Sanford after finding him near the crime scene, dressed in his pajamas.
Following two days of interrogations, Sanford admitted he was behind the killings and drew the sketch at issue in tonight’s show. The teen was sentenced to 37 to 90 years behind bars.
But in June 2016, Sanford — who later maintained his innocence after the confession — was freed at age 23. A hit man who was already in prison for separate murders had provided police with a detailed affidavit, saying he committed the murders and that Sanford wasn’t involved in the crime.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube Channel“Justice was not done (initially), but justice was done today,” a state assistant public defender reportedly said after a judge ordered the release of Sanford.
The Real Story With Maria Elena Salinas airs Mondays at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery.