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Serial
Serial

The Last 12 Weeks - Ep. 2

June 18, 2026 • 45m

Summary

⏱️ 7 min read

Overview

This episode follows defense attorneys Greg Warchuk, Naomi Fenwick, and Jeremy as they race to find new evidence to save David Wood from execution, with just 58 days remaining. The team investigates multiple leads including a woman who believes her father committed the murders, searches for alternate suspects like Michael Plyler, and discovers a crucial witness named Ramona who claims police coerced testimony and ignored evidence pointing to other suspects.

The Challenges of a Circumstantial Case

The prosecution's case against David Wood in 1992 was built almost entirely on circumstantial evidence, with the lead prosecutor acknowledging there was virtually no direct proof linking Wood to the murders. The defense now faces the challenge of dismantling not one strong piece of evidence, but countless small threads including jailhouse informants, fiber evidence, witness testimonies, and a prior rape case. Lead attorney Greg Warchuk has spent 15 years working mostly solo, focusing heavily on DNA testing that revealed an unknown male's DNA at crime scenes—not David Wood's.

  • Lead prosecutor in 1992 acknowledged case was 'purely a circumstantial evidence case' with almost no direct proof
  • Physical evidence limited to fibers found at Wood's apartment and on one victim
  • DNA testing in 2010 turned up match to unknown male, not David Wood
  • Greg has been litigating for over a decade to test more items from crime scenes, receiving final denial just months before execution date
" She said it multiple times like she was trying to get in front of it called it quote purely a circumstantial evidence case "

A New Lead: Michelle Bradley's Alternative Suspect Theory

With 58 days until execution, the defense team receives a Brady disclosure from the Attorney General's office about Michelle Bradley, whose father was convicted of murdering and dismembering her stepmother. Michelle believes her father, James Patrick Bradley, may have been involved in the desert murders. The team debates whether this lead is worth pursuing or a distraction sent by prosecutors, ultimately deciding to investigate despite Greg's initial skepticism.

  • Michelle Bradley contacts AG's office claiming her father James Patrick Bradley may be responsible for the murders
  • Bradley was convicted in 1995 of murdering and dismembering his wife
  • Greg initially skeptical, warning team not to lose focus or head down 'rabbit trails'
  • Naomi Fenwick argues it's potentially important and adds to list of people whose DNA should be tested
" And this might be the AG's very strategy is to send us off on a wild goose chase. "

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