2025 Hillman Prize for Broadcast Journalism
Dan Slepian, Dawn Porter, and Kimberley Ferdinando
Producers: Lauren Capps, Sadie Bass, Nick McElroy
Editor: Rosie Walunas
Executive Producers: Liz Cole, Elizabeth Fischer, Andy Berg, Amanda Spain, Rebecca Kutler, Rashida Jones
Even one exoneration would be impressive, but journalist Dan Slepian helped free six innocent men.
In 2002, a Bronx homicide detective tipped off Slepian, a rookie journalist at the time, about a case that had been haunting him: Two gang members had confessed that they shot a bouncer at the Palladium nightclub in 1990, but two other innocent men were in prison for the crime. Slepian convinced the detective to let him follow along as he reinvestigated the case. Over two years, Slepian chronicled the corruption that led to the wrongful convictions, and he continued reporting even after two detectives retired in disgust over the inaction of the DA’s office.
The innocent men, David Lemus and Olmedo Hidalgo, were freed in part because of Slepian’s reporting, in which he found and interviewed the real killer. Lemus then introduced Slepian to Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, a friend who was serving time for the 1998 murder of a retired NYPD officer. Velazquez also claimed he was innocent and challenged Slepian to prove it.
Slepian embarked on a two-decade quest, remarkably documented on camera with unprecedented access to Sing Sing Correctional Facility. He uncovered mounting evidence of Velazquez’s innocence, yet the Manhattan DA’s Office clung to its conviction.
Along the way, Velazquez introduced Slepian to three other men at Sing Sing whose cases he also investigated—Eric Glisson, Johnny Hincapie and Richard Rosario—helping lead to their freedom. Astoundingly, Velazquez was the last of these six men to be exonerated in September 2024. It took 22 years for this story to unfold, portraying innocent men who had served more than 116 years combined for crimes they did not commit.
NBC News broadcast elements of this story, but most of their footage had never been aired. The full story had never been told until the four-part documentary The Sing Sing Chronicles premiered on MSNBC in November 2024. Acclaimed filmmaker and director Dawn Porter drew from 1,000 hours of Slepian’s original verité footage, dating back to 2002, to weave a narrative that dissects each conviction and unveils a deeply human story. This unique portrait reveals in real time the dehumanization of prison, the torture of wrongful convictions on families, and the trauma endured by the children of those serving time.
The result is a monumental achievement in storytelling and its impact is undeniable. JJ Velazquez, David Lemus, Olmedo Hidalgo, Eric Glisson, Johnny Hincapie and Richard Rosario are now free men. The series powerfully reveals the titanic effort, perseverance and resilience required by the innocent who fight to reclaim their freedom.
Beyond these six exonerations, the reporting changed countless lives and helped ignite a national conversation about wrongful convictions and their impact on families, communities, and the broader justice system.
The impact of this story continues to reverberate through the men whose lives it transformed. Slepian and Velazquez have been talking to students, prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, and justice reform organizations across the country about their experience. Slepian recently published a book about these cases, called The Sing Sing Files, and he produced and wrote a Pulitzer-finalist podcast “Letters from Sing Sing.”
The Sing Sing Chronicles is a testament to the power of journalism that dares to confront injustice.
Dan Slepian, Journalist/Executive Producer, is a journalist at NBC News and a veteran producer of its signature newsmagazine, Dateline. The Sing Sing Chronicles follows two decades of his work as he investigates the convictions of six men in five unrelated homicide cases in a relentless pursuit of the truth. Slepian’s documentaries and investigative specials have made him a leader in reporting on the criminal legal system and wrongful convictions. His work has earned three Edward R. Murrow Awards, over a dozen Emmys, and recognition from justice organizations nationwide. Slepian is the author of recently released book The Sing Sing Files, and he’s the host of the acclaimed podcast Letters from Sing Sing, recognized as a Pulitzer finalist.
Dawn Porter, Director, is an American documentary filmmaker and the founder of the production company Trilogy. Her award-winning films and series include Luther: Never Too Much, The Lady Bird Diaries, Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court, Trapped, Spies of Mississippi and Gideon’s Army, among many others. As a three-time Sundance film festival director and National Medal of the Arts recipient, Porter’s work has been featured on HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, CNN, PBS, MSNBC, MTV Films, and other platforms. Porter discovered her passion for filmmaking following her time as an attorney. She is a graduate of Swarthmore College with a major in political science and has a law degree from Georgetown University Law School.
Kimberley Ferdinando, Showrunner/Executive Producer, is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker specializing in documentary and nonfiction storytelling. She began developing The Sing Sing Chronicles with journalist Dan Slepian in 2016 and is the showrunner and executive producer of the limited series. Kimberley developed and produced the PGA Award nominated theatrical documentary The Disappearance of Shere Hite, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by IFC Films. She is Executive Producer at NBC News Studios where she oversees documentary films and series as a creative producer throughout all stages of production. Previously, Kimberley directed and produced documentaries, specials, nonfiction series and live events with Peacock Productions.