Share and Follow
LONDONER Paul Denham has spent more than 25 years behind bars for murdering his wife’s lover Edward Weinmann in LA in 1995 — a crime he has always denied.
Here’s everything you need to know about the case, which is featured in Channel 5 true crime documentary The Wrong Man? 20 Years Behind Bars.
Who is Paul Denham?
Paul Denham was convicted of murdering Edward Weinmann in Los Angeles in 1995.
He grew up in Eltham, southeast London, where he was a promising artist at school.
Denham moved to the US in 1994 to expand his sign-writing business.
Not long after arriving in the States, the London native married his girlfriend Dolores Legapsi, reportedly for a work visa.
Shortly after the wedding, their house was burgled, and Denham bought a gun for protection.
While she was still married to Denham, Dolores was also involved with her former boyfriend Edward.
He was shot dead while driving on an LA freeway in March 1995, with the gunshots seemingly fired from a moving vehicle.
This was the second attempt in his life, as Edward was also shot at while sitting in his car two months earlier, but the bullets missed their intended target.
Despite maintaining his innocence and claiming to have a solid alibi, Denham was sentenced to life without parole in 1998 for the attempted murder and murder of Edward Weinmann.
At the time of the shooting, Denham claims he was in San Francisco, approximately 350 miles away from the crime scene.
Love triangle
Once police found out about the love triangle, Denham became the prime suspect.
During the investigation, Denham was questioned by detectives he described as “rude and abusive”.
I’ve been wrongly convicted since 1998, and continue to fight in the courts for my freedom
Paul Denham
Feeling mistreated, he filed a complaint against the detectives, an action that he believes contributed to his eventual conviction.
On The People’s Commission For Integrity in Criminal Justice’s website, Paul said: “I was born and raised in London, England and I came to the US in 1994.
“A year later, a friend of my ex-wife was killed in Long Beach.
“I had an alibi, but law enforcement crushed it and manufactured false evidence and offered false testimony.
“I’ve been wrongly convicted since 1998, and continue to fight in the courts for my freedom.”
He added: “In 1995 I submitted a police complaint against both investigating officers describing how they assaulted and threatened me. I then submitted a second.”
Evidence
The prosecution’s case included forensic evidence related to a roll of yellow tape found at Denham’s home.
This was claimed to match tape on a silencer recovered from the earlier attempt on Edward’s life.
However, the timeline of this evidence’s discovery and analysis has been questioned.
Fight for freedom
Ever since his conviction, Denham has been fighting to prove his innocence.
In 2015, he secured new exonerating evidence, later filing a habeas corpus petition in 2018.
However, according to Denham and his lawyer, Judge Laesecke failed to respond to the petition for over six years.
In 2021, Denham also petitioned for a writ of mandate directing Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon to review his conviction.
Denham asserted that his conviction resulted from false testimony and concealment of exculpatory evidence.
However, he remains in prison over a quarter of a century later.
The Wrong Man? 20 Years Behind Bars
Channel 5 has made a true crime documentary examining Paul Denham’s case called The Wrong Man? 20 Years Behind Bars.
Executive Producer Daniel Smith said: “Paul Denham’s story is high-stakes and complex, from the contested evidence around the crime itself to the prolonged appeal to clear his name.
“In this documentary, we present the facts and the disputes on both sides and leave the audience to draw their own conclusions.”
The Wrong Man? 20 Years Behind Bars will be broadcast on Monday, January 21, 2025 at 10pm.
