Welcome back to Resilience2Redemption podcast. This is a global platform where truth is spoken boldly and those unseen by the system are heard across the world.

This is Part 2 of our four-part investigative series: From 99 Years to Freedom on Paper: The Case for Eddie Houston’s Actual Innocence.

Last week, we heard from Mr. Eddie “Fast Eddie” Houston, a Texas man sentenced to 99 years for a crime he maintains he did not commit. He served over 36 years before being released under parole provisions, but not exonerated.

Today we examine the legal consequences of missing transcripts, structural barriers to actual innocence claims, and what systemic reform could look like. Because release is not the same as justice and parole is not the same as innocence.

Mr. Eddie, welcome back.

Madeline:
Your trial transcripts were reportedly destroyed years after your conviction. That is the historical record of your trial. If those transcripts had never been destroyed, what testimony do you believe would expose weaknesses in the state’s case?

Eddie Houston:
There were inconsistencies in testimony and how things were presented. Without transcripts, I cannot point back to what was actually said in court.

Madeline:
Do you believe supervision on parole should be paused if the official trial record is missing?

Eddie:
Parole decisions rely on what’s written. If the record is incomplete or inaccurate, that affects everything.

Madeline:

In wrongful conviction cases, suppression doesn’t always mean hidden evidence — sometimes it means minimized contradictions. Was there evidence or alibi detail that was never fully presented to the jury?

Eddie:

There was no physical proof tying me to the crime. I maintained I was in California. But that was not given full weight.

Madeline:

When you faced your alleged accuser in court, had you ever met him before?

Eddie:

No. I did not know him.

Madeline:

Do you know whether key witnesses are still living?

Eddie:

Some are deceased. I’m not sure about all of them.

Madeline:
Nearly half a century has passed since 1979. Do you feel time was used against you?

Eddie:
Yes. Over time, documents disappear, memories fade, and it becomes harder to prove innocence.

Madeline:
In your experience, is the standard for “actual innocence” set so high that it protects convictions more than it protects truth?

Eddie:
It doesn’t take much to convict someone. But it takes a lot to get out.

Madeline:
If you were advising lawmakers in Texas today, what reforms would you demand?

Eddie:
Preserve transcripts. Review informant testimony more closely. Have independent review — not controlled by the same office that prosecuted the case.

Madeline:
We discussed Conviction Integrity Units and independent innocence commissions. Oversight matters. When officials retire or pass away, the defendant is still left fighting.

Madeline:
Mr. Eddie, what would you say to someone listening who feels buried by the system?

Eddie:
Keep trying. Don’t give up. You never know what might happen tomorrow.

Madeline (Closing):
Being released is not the same as being cleared. This episode highlights the impact of missing records, high legal thresholds for innocence, and the need for structural reform.

This is Part 2 of our four-part series. Join us next week for Part 3 as we continue examining the unanswered questions in Eddie Houston’s case.

You’ve been listening to Resilience2Redemption.
Keep seeking the truth. Keep standing for justice. And never stop using your voice for those the system tried to silence.