When a Witness Recants

*N/A

Status

Released

Production

HBO Documentary Films

Aired

2026-01-27

When a Witness Recants

In 1983, author Ta-Nehisi Coates learned that a 14-year-old boy was murdered in his Baltimore middle school. Upon revisiting the case, he uncovers the truth: Three innocent teenagers were wrongfully convicted and spent 36 years in prison — creating a lasting impact on the accused, the witnesses, and their community.