The Child Cases

Coming June 28. In this joint investigation with ProPublica and NPR, FRONTLINE correspondent A.C. Thompson unearths more than 20 child death cases in which people were jailed on medical evidence -- involving abuse, assault and "shaken-baby syndrome" -- that was later found unreliable or flat-out wrong. Are death investigators being properly trained for child cases?

In a follow-up to FRONTLINE's "College, Inc.," correspondent Martin Smith investigates how for-profit schools are aggressively recruiting huge numbers of new veterans with educational promises that many now question whether they can keep.

What happens when a child dies under suspicious circumstances? Abuse is often suspected, but are forensic pathologists being properly trained to find out the cause of death?

Thoughts on freedom - and another impending trial - from Ernie Lopez. A Texas court recently threw out his 2003 conviction of sexually assaulting 6-month-old Isis Vas, who later died, though the district attorney has chosen to try Lopez again for the crime. Joint reporting from FRONTLINE, ProPublica and NPR in "The Child Cases" raised questions about the evidence used against him.

After almost a decade behind bars, Ernie Lopez arrives at his home in Texas. He briefly celebrates missed holidays before breaking down remembering Isis Vas, the 6-month-old who died in his care. Lopez's conviction of sexually assaulting Vas was recently thrown out by a Texas court. Joint reporting from FRONTLINE, ProPublica and NPR raised questions about the evidence used against him.

"You hear the door open and they say, 'Lopez. You're going home.'" Ernie Lopez walks out of prison to greet family, friends and reporters after a Texas court threw out his 2003 conviction of sexually assaulting 6-month-old Isis Vas. Joint reporting from FRONTLINE, ProPublica and NPR in "The Child Cases" raised questions about the evidence used against him.

Shirley Ree Smith reacts to new doubts from the coroner's office on her conviction. "I wouldn't even be in this predicament if he was here 15 years ago, 16 years ago," she says. "I wouldn't be going through this." For a pathologist to question [the cause of death], to say it's undetermined -- that's something people should think about."

Shirley Ree Smith tells correspondent A.C. Thompson her reaction when the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned her conviction on charges that she killed her grandson by shaking him to death. "They saw the facts and went on the facts, which no one else did," she says.

Fifteen years ago, Shirley Ree Smith was convicted of shaking her grandson to death, but the facts were murky and she always maintained she's innocent. Her conviction was overturned, but then reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court. She tells FRONTLINE correspondent A.C. Thompson what it's like to live in legal limbo.