The Fairbanks Four: Murder, Injustice, and the Birth of a Movement

In October 1997, a teenager named John Gilbert Hartman is found unconscious on the side of a road in Fairbanks, Alaska, beaten severely. He dies two days later at age 15. Police arrest four suspects, all under 21 and of Alaska Native and American Indian descent. Following witness lineups and trials, all four receive lengthy prison sentences. Years later, journalist Brian Patrick O'Donoghue becomes unable to stop thinking about the case. When he begins teaching investigative reporting, he and his students begin examining what actually happened. Their investigation reveals lies, deceit, and prejudice that led to the convictions of four innocent young men. The Fairbanks Four documents the crime, its aftermath in Alaska, and the collective effort by O'Donoghue, his students, and the Fairbanks indigenous community to challenge the verdicts. It examines a broken justice system and the work required to pursue justice and maintain hope.