Life and Death Row Episode Rating Graph

In April 2013, 18-year old Shawn Ford Jr was charged with killing his girlfriend's parents with a sledgehammer. Now he is on trial for his life and a jury of twelve ordinary people must decide whether he should live or die. This film follows the court case from the inside, as both the family of the victims and the defendant struggle to come to terms with such a horrific crime. But it is the jurors who must ultimately decide Shawn's fate. As the details of the shocking murders mount, can an impassioned plea for mercy from Shawn's mother save her son's life?

On March 11 2009, Daniel Lopez was pulled over for driving erratically. The dramatic car chase that ensued killed a police officer and 27-year-old Daniel was given the death penalty. Unusually for a death row prisoner, he is resisting all appeals to block his execution - which is due in five weeks time. The state-appointed attorneys for Lopez are arguing that their client is using the justice system as a form of suicide. His family are also pleading with him to fight the execution and stay alive for them. With access to Daniel, his lawyers, his parents and the widow of the police officer that Daniel killed, this film follows the lead up to 'execution day'. Will Daniel go to his death, as he insists he wants to do, or will the people who love him be able to save him?

Police believe that Emilia is involved in Heather’s death, but they have no proof. When Josh’s sister Michelle contacts them saying she wants to help, they set in motion a plan to find out what Emilia will tell Michelle about Josh, or about Heather’s murder. They plant a bug in Michelle’s car and secretly record to their conversation.

In this episode we meet death row inmate Stacey Johnson, who is scheduled to be executed for a crime that he claims he didn't commit. With just weeks to go, his wife Judy and stepdaughter Tasha are doing all they can to stop the execution from going ahead. We also meet Susan, whose mother was murdered in a home invasion by inmate Don Davis in 1990. Susan has been waiting for Davis's execution for decades and wants justice to finally be carried out so she and her family can find peace.

In this episode we meet Lynn Scott, the sister of death row inmate Jack Jones - the next prisoner in line to die. Jones has severe medical problems including diabetes, which led to him having a leg amputated in prison. We also meet inmate Marcel Williams who is on death row for the rape and murder of 22-year-old Stacy Rae Errickson. With only weeks to go before Williams's execution, his attorney Jason Kearney is fighting to save his client's life, arguing that Williams's original lawyers made serious mistakes during his trial.

The second film follows the trial of 26-year-old Guy Heinze Jr, with remarkable access to the jury members charged with reaching a verdict on allegations that Heinze beat his father and seven members of his family to death. As the trial progresses, there is legal manoeuvring while evidence about the brutal killings unfolds.

Josh has been in jail for fraudulently using Heather’s credit cards, and Heather is all he can think about. He sends a message to Buie from his prison cell, requesting that they speak again about Heather’s murder.

For two of the youngest men on death row in Texas, execution day has arrived. Victim Nikki Daniels reflects on her kidnapping ordeal by murderer Richard Cobb and battles with her conflicting desires to forgive him, while the mother of death row inmate Anthony Haynes fights to use the final 72 hours to halt her son's execution for the murder of a police officer.

Nobody has seen Heather Strong, a beautiful wife and mother, for over a month. Concerned for her whereabouts, detectives bring in her estranged husband Joshua Fulgham for questioning. During his initial interview, police discover Josh had a pregnant lover, Emilia Carr. Growing more suspicious, detectives want to interview Emilia to find out what she knows about the disappearance of Heather.

Detectives discover the location of Heather's body and find that she has been murdered. But they are still no closer to catching her killer. Knowing from the police that Josh is implicating her, Emilia’s loyalty to Josh falters.