Episode 5 of “Breakdown: railroad justice in a railroad town” reviews some of the most critical breakdowns in the prosecution of Justin Chapman for murder and arson.

In the process, we learn of several pieces of evidence that Chapman's public defender Jan Hankins says she never received, and are introduced to witnesses that Hankins never had time to visit.

In this first season of Breakdown, senior legal affairs writer Bill Rankin goes deep inside the Chapman case, exploring where the criminal justice system broke down. You can listen to the Breakdown podcast below, or visit www.ajcbreakdown.com for the first five episodes, plus photos, articles, videos and more related information.

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David Neeley poses with a copy of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and an old photo of newspaper carriers, including him, at a newspaper distribution branch in  Marietta. The AJC has 333 carriers for weekday editions; they drive more than 14,000 miles per night. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., arrives to a news conference on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

Credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP