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Serial

The Last 12 Weeks - Ep. 3

June 18, 2026 • 43m

Summary

⏱️ 7 min read

Overview

This episode of The Last 12 Weeks follows defense lawyers racing against time—just 42 days before David Wood's scheduled execution—as they pursue alternate suspects, attempt to secure recantations from jailhouse informants, and even approach the victim's mother in hopes of stopping the execution. The lawyers navigate morally complex situations while confronting the enormous pressure of trying to save their client's life, including visiting a dying man in hospice, tracking down alternate suspects who confessed decades ago, and ultimately filing a massive 371-page habeas corpus petition with little chance of success.

Tracking Down Eddie Barton: The Alternate Suspect Who Confessed

Defense attorney Jeremy Schepers travels to an assisted living facility to interview Eddie Barton, who confessed to FBI agents in 1989 about killing young women and burying them in the desert—the same MO as David Wood's alleged crimes. Barton had originally confessed while also admitting to putting a hit out on his wife, but later denied everything, claiming he was strung out on drugs at the time. The interview takes place in a surreal setting with other residents watching, and ultimately yields nothing useful as Barton maintains he never killed anyone.

  • Eddie Barton confessed in 1989 to FBI agents about killing young women and burying them in the desert, matching the profile of David Wood's alleged victims
  • Barton described picking victims who were 'small, petite, young, with features similar to that of his wife'
  • By the time El Paso police contacted Barton, David Wood's trial was already underway and Barton denied his earlier confession
  • Jeremy conducts the interview in a day room full of residents, creating an awkward and public scene
  • Barton reads the FBI report with confusion and disorientation, ultimately denying making the statements
" Bodies? In the desert? "
" I don't want nobody to go to death row. I hope the guy, if we didn't do it, gets off. "

The Randy Wells Dilemma: Confronting a Dying Jailhouse Informant

The defense team struggles with whether to confront Randy Wells, a jailhouse informant whose testimony was crucial in convicting David Wood, as he lies dying from lung cancer in hospice. Wells had a long criminal record and testified that Wood confessed to him in jail, leading to his own murder charges being dropped. The lawyers debate the ethics of interviewing a dying man while weighing their obligation to their client facing execution. When attorney Naomi Fenwick finally visits, Wells is too ill to communicate, and he dies the next day.

  • Randy Wells was a jailhouse informant who testified that David Wood confessed to being the desert killer; Wells' murder charges were dropped after he testified
  • A prosecutor once wrote that Randy Wells 'wouldn't tell the truth unless it was in his best interest'
  • The lawyers debate whether to confront Wells in the hospital versus waiting, with some arguing a hospital visit could be styled as a 'dying declaration'
  • Naomi visits Wells at home but finds him barely conscious and unable to communicate
  • Randy Wells dies the day after Naomi's visit, eliminating any chance of getting a recantation
" If we get a statement from Randy Wells backtracking on his trial testimony, our chances of a stay in success go up monumentally higher than they currently are. And so if at the end of the day he's in the hospital, he's in the hospital. So obviously that's not ideal. That's not how we want to do it. But, you know, like I said, if we're still here in like two weeks and the option is don't talk to him or awkwardly and offensively, you know, knock on his hospital door. To me, it's door two at that point. "

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