THOSE STORIES RIGHT NOW, ON MATTER OF FACT, IT’S A STORY THAT STARTS WITH A CALL TO THE POLICE. DANA MARSH, A YOUNG OFFICER, RESPONDS TO THE SCENE OF A DRUG DEAL AND ARRESTS A SUSPECT. DARRYL JONES. WHILE NEITHER MAN KNEW IT AT THE TIME, IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING REMARKABLE A BOND THAT WITHSTOOD A MURDER TRIAL, PRISON TIME AND NEARLY THREE DECADES. OUR CORRESPONDENT JESSICA GOMEZ HAS THEIR STORY OF FRIENDSHIP AND SUPPORT. I KIND OF GREW UP IN THE LEAVE IT TO BEAVER FAMILY. THE WHITE PICKET FENCE AND AND EVERYTHING ELSE, AND WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE GREAT PARENTS. SO I CAME FROM A LEGACY OF MURDERERS, UH, IN MY FAMILY, ADDICTION, UH, ALCOHOLISM, PHYSICAL ABUSE, SEXUAL ABUSE. YOU SCARED ALL THE TIME. THE STORY OF DANA MARSH AND DARRYL JONES BEGINS HERE AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX JUST OUTSIDE OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA. I USED TO DEAL DRUGS RIGHT HERE, DANA. THEN A POLICE OFFICER WITH JUST ONE YEAR ON THE JOB ARRESTED DARRYL FOR DISORDERLY CONDUCT. THE 24 YEAR OLD, A DRUG DEALER AND ADDICT WITH A LONG RAP SHEET. AFTER THAT, DANA WOULD SEE ME ON THE STREET. I’D BE SELLING DRUGS OR BUYING DRUGS, MAYBE, AND HE WOULD STOP THE CAR, HIT THE LIGHTS AND PAT ME DOWN AND THEN START TALKING TO ME ABOUT CHANGING MY LIFE. I SAW SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN HIM. I CAN’T EXPLAIN IT. DON’T KNOW WHY JOELLE EVENTUALLY ACCEPTING THE POLICE OFFICER’S HELP, HE LEFT FOR HIS HOMETOWN OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, WITH A BUS TICKET. DANA BOUGHT HIM. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BACKYARD. YOU WOULD COME IN FRONT OF THE BACKYARD DIRECTLY INTO THE KITCHEN. BUT IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR DARRYL’S TROUBLED PAST TO CATCH UP WITH HIM STAYING IN HIS GREAT GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE TO TODAY AN EMPTY LOT. HE HAD A CONFLICT WITH HER HUSBAND AND STABBED HIM TO DEATH. IT WAS SURREAL. I FELT LIKE I COULDN’T BELIEVE I HAD DONE THIS AND, UM, I STOOD, I SAT THERE SHAKING AND THEN I BASICALLY MADE A DECISION. I WAS GOING TO TURN MYSELF IN, AND I CALLED DANA AND TOLD HIM THAT I HAD JUST KILLED A MAN. HE SAID, UH, I GOT TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY. UH, THIS IS THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN DO TO CHANGE MY LIFE. DESPITE DANA TESTIFYING ON HIS BEHALF, DARRYL WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON. HE WAS GOING THROUGH A LOT OF REMORSE, BUT HE ALSO HAD REALIZED THAT THE ONLY WAY THAT HE COULD MAKE HIS LIFE WORTH SOMETHING IS HELPING THOSE THAT WERE COMING IN THAT WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET BACK OUT, MOVING THROUGH PRISONS IN FOUR STATES. THAT’S WHAT JOELLE DID, TAKING ACCOUNTABILITY CLASSES, STUDYING PSYCHOLOGY AND COUNSELING. OTHER INMATES FROM THE OUTSIDE. DANA BUSY WITH A YOUNG FAMILY, CONTINUED TO SUPPORT HIM. HE VISITED, SENT MONEY, WENT TO MY MY HEARINGS, WHATEVER HE COULD DO, HE DID. YOU KNOW, HE TREATED ME LIKE A BROTHER. AFTER 20 YEARS BEHIND BARS, DARRYL’S IMPACT ON OTHERS EARNING HIM HIS RELEASE. NOBODY HAD EVER TALKED TO Y’ALL LIKE THAT BEFORE. TODAY, THAT WORK CONTINUES MENTORING LOCAL TEENAGERS, TEACHING THINGS LIKE LANDSCAPING AND LIFE LESSONS. ONCE HE LEARNED THE HARD WAY WHEN I SAY ACCOUNTABILITY, WHAT COMES TO YOUR MIND? I TELL THEM THAT THEY CAN BE A PROMISE OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT INSTEAD OF A PRODUCT. WORDS ARE SPIRIT AND WORDS ARE LIFE. JEWELS PROMISE HELPING NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THE ONE IN WHICH HE GREW UP HEAL HIS WORK AS A COMMUNITY LEADER. NOW ATTRACTING THE ATTENTION OF BIRMINGHAM’S TOP COPS AND PROSECUTORS. AND ALWAYS THERE, HIS FRIEND DANA MARSH. WHAT WOULD YOU TELL A YOUNG POLICE OFFICER WHO MIGHT BE ENCOUNTERING THE SAME SITUATION TODAY? YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE COMPASSION. UH, IF WE DON’T, THINGS WON’T CHANGE. WE LEARN THAT FROM EACH OTHER, THEN. YEAH, BECAUSE HIS COMPASSION TOWARDS ME TRANSLATED TO MY COMPASSION TOWARDS OTHERS. FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD WE’RE ABOUT TO RECEIVE. I WAS A VIOLENT CRIMINAL. AND TO THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS WHAT REDEMPTION LOOKS LIKE. YOU KNOW, SITTING AT THE TABLE WITH THE THE ACTUAL POLICE OFFICER THAT ARRESTED YOU. MIRACLES ARE REAL. AND SO TOAST TO MIRACLES. GLAD TO CALL YOU MY FRIEND. THANK YOU. SIR. IN FAYETTEVILLE, GEORGIA. FOR MATTER OF FACT, I’M JESSICA GOMEZ. THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY BOARD O