In many true crime stories, the ending comes with the verdict: guilty, condemned, case closed. But for Keith LaMar, that moment marked the beginning of another story. For three decades, he has fought to keep living inside a system determined to end his life. This episode explores what survival looks like on death row, and what it means to keep resisting in the shadow of an execution date.
Want early access to every episode, all at once? Tenderfoot+ subscribers get the full case at the start of each month—plus ad-free listening and exclusive content from over 30 shows. Sign up at tenderfootplus.com. Find all action items, sources, and resources in the show notes at truercrimepodcast.com.
Please be aware that today’s episode contains descriptions of violence. Please take care while listening.
A full transcript of this episode is available here.
Action Items:
Keith LaMar is scheduled to be executed on January 13, 2027. His legal team is preparing what may be his final motion to get back into court. But legal help is expensive, and time is running out.
If you’ve been moved by Keith’s story, I hope you’ll consider supporting his legal defense fund. Donations go directly to his team and are tax-deductible through the nonprofit Justice for Keith LaMar. Even a small, recurring gift can make a difference. You can donate at keithlamar.org/donate.
And if you want to continue hearing from Keith in his own words—his voice, his music, his art—there are so many ways to stay connected. Both of his albums, Freedom First and LIVE From Death Row, are available on streaming platforms, or you can order CDs at keithlamar.org/merchandise. And DIGEST—the interactive sculpture Keith co-created with artist Mia Pearlman—includes his original poetry and reflections on life in solitary. You can experience it at albertmarques.com/digest.
Audio Used:
YouTube: The Great Incarcerator, part 2: The Shadow of Lucasville uploaded by djones.
YouTube: Bloody history: 1993 Lucasville prison riots uploaded by Hearst Television.
Sound Cloud: Lucasville 1992 prison riot in Ohio from WTVN coverage uploaded by Dean6oh.
libcom.org: Black and White and Dead All Over: The Lucasville Insurrection by Staughton Lynd.
Sources Used:
Statement of Stacey Gordon, 8 September 1994.
Interview #1264 (PART 1) with Aaron Jefferson.
Death Penalty Information Center: Time on Death Row.
CBS News: Execution date for Ohio inmate convicted in Lucasville prison riot rescheduled for 2027.
Condemned: The Whole Story by Keith Lamar.
Interviews conducted by the Truer Crime Podcast team:
Michael Sangiacomo
Keith LaMar
Herman Carson
