Introducing - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance - Preview

Introducing - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance - Preview

From Unjust & Unsolved by Daisy

December 2, 2025 · 13 min

About this episode

The episode introduces a live investigation into the wrongful conviction of David Thorne for the murder of Yvonne Layne.

On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng ( Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave ) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death & Deceit in Alliance , Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if…

People in this episode

Host: Maggie Freleng

Guest: Jason Baldwin

Topics covered

  • wrongful conviction
  • murder investigation
  • true crime
  • podcast
  • innocence
  • police misconduct

Keywords

  • Yvonne Layne
  • David Thorne
  • Maggie Freleng
  • wrongful conviction
  • murder
  • Alliance Ohio
  • true crime
  • podcast

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: True Crime Clubhouse, Bone Valley, West Memphis Three

Places: Alliance, Ohio

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