Investigative podcast series Smoke Screen launches new season

The new season of the podcast series Smoke Screen: Just Say You’re Sorry, takes us into the hidden world of police investigations.

It goes inside the interrogation room, uncovering the gripping drama behind one of Texas Ranger James Holland’s most controversial cases: the murder of a woman named Bobbie Sue Hill.

Hosted by The Marshall Project’s journalist Maurice Chammah, Just Say You’re Sorry investigates the extreme, yet legal, tactics employed by Holland against the murder suspect: an Air Force veteran named Larry Driskill.

These tactics include hypnotising a witness, lying about evidence, and a psychologically brutal interrogation that eventually breaks Driskill down.

With access to Holland’s recordings, Chammah follows the men through two days of a high-stakes dance ending in Driskill’s confession.

Driskill was sentenced to 15 years in prison but was released on parole during production. He is now working to prove his innocence.

His experience sheds light on the methods used by Holland and many police across the U.S., even as Holland continues to be celebrated for his skill in coaxing confessions from killers. 

“Just Say You’re Sorry offers a first-hand look at this story of manipulation and gaslighting, and how even people who don’t believe they committed a crime can find themselves confessing to it,” said host Maurice Chammah, who previously wrote “Anatomy of a Murder Confession,” the Marshall Project article that the podcast is based on.

Just Say You’re Sorry is produced by Somethin’ Else, a Sony Music Entertainment company, and The Marshall Project.