Scenes of a Crime

In 2008 Adrian Thomas spent more than ten hours at the Troy, New York, Police Department being interrogated by officers convinced he’d killed his four-month-old son. In spite of his repeated pleas of innocence, officers followed interrogation protocol and hammered away at him until he finally signed a confession. Not until later did crucial information emerge that cast serious doubt on the outcome of the examination. Medical experts, police, and lawyers offer their opinions in this criminal exposé, but the film’s focal point is the videotaped interrogation. Filmmakers use the tape, along with access to all parties, to expose deeper layers of the story, challenging the veracity of this confession and others like it. But a mystery still lingers, and it’s unclear what the tape’s impact ultimately will be. When Thomas’s case finally makes it to trial, the jury weighs in and determines his future. (Full Frame Documentary Film Festival)