In 1995, Hank Skinner was sentenced to death for a New Year's Eve triple-homicide of his family. Skinner, discovered drunk, high, and covered in blood, claims he passed out on the couch at the time of the murders, with no recollection of the events. Five years later, students from the Northwestern University start to investigate the case, and discover that key physical evidence, including the murder weapon and a jacket likely worn by the assailant, were never tested for DNA. They also discover troubling evidence pointing to a possible alternate suspect.