Episode 5 - The Trial

Ballots And Bullets

"This is just the beginning." Those were the words Fred Ahmed Evans told a black Cleveland police officer in the back of a squad car on the night of July 23, 1968. Evans referred to what he believed would be a multi-city rebellion, kicked off by the uprising he had just started. The problem was Evans and his group started the revolution a day early. In other cities, nationalists believed the war would start on July 24 and the fact that Evans and his band had been put down decisively caused others to pause. In this episode we will follow Fred “Ahmed” Evans to the city jail and explore his confession and its meaning. We will also dig into long suppressed FBI files and notes to look at the police investigation and discuss the two trials in 1969 that resulted in guilty verdicts and Evans receiving the death penalty.