Films and video essays

The Moral Weight Of Death Row

A former detective meets the man he wrongly put on death row in this powerful film about justice and forgiveness.



Robert Roberson has been languishing on death row in Texas for nearly 25 years, awaiting execution for a murder that he almost certainly did not commit. It’s not just his lawyer who says that; the detective who put him behind bars believes it too.

In this powerful short video I produced alongside veteran New York Times reporter Kirk Semple, that detective — Brian Wharton — visits death row and meets Roberson for the first time since 2002. “I just wanted to say how sorry I am that you’re here”, Wharton says, beginning a poignant and personal conversation about justice and forgiveness.

This film was nominated in the 46th News and Documentary Emmy Awards.

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