This investigation led to the publication of "Purgatory behind bars," a 4-part news series examining how a cold case murder devolved into a man's decade-long purgatory in jail, mental health hospitals, and court.

The series unveiled a shocking revelation: a single-word loophole in state legislation permits the indefinite detention of individuals with mental health challenges in North Carolina before they even face trial. And it exposed the limited recourse available to their lawyers in combating this injustice.

It talks about some of Perkins’ experiences in jail including how he has been evaluated again and again by psychiatrists, most of whom say the same thing: He’s not capable of standing trial to determine if he’s guilty of murder.

Chapter 2 focuses on the crime Perkins’ is accused of that left a 20-year-old dead and two families devastated.

This chapter follows the downward spiral of Perkins’ mental health. It also shows how a broken system for defendants who are incapable to proceed has kept him shuffling between hospital beds and jail bunks for over a decade.

The final chapter explains how one word in a now defunct state law may keep Perkins behind bars without a conviction for years.

To promote the project I collaborated with multimedia journalist Makayla Holder, to produce this promotional video.