TOLEDO, Ohio — WTOL was honored with three Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards in an announcement Tuesday morning by the Radio Television Digital News Association.
Last year, WTOL became the first television station in Northwest Ohio to win a National Murrow Award when it was honored for its "Dark Side of Cedar Point" investigation into sexual assaults inside the park's employee dorms.
Once again, the station was honored for an investigation in 2024. "Up in Smoke" looked into mismanagement of Toledo's fire escrow account. The account holds insurance money for homeowners whose homes have been damaged or destroyed in a fire.
11 Investigates found that the money was being transferred inappropriately to other funds after the city determined the homeowners could not be found. Our team found several residents and had money successfully returned to them.
In addition, on Monday morning, WTOL won the News Series category for "The Hunt for Nancy's Killer." That 11 Investigates report focused on a 1960 cold case in Paulding County and resulted in new evidence being tested and additional witnesses coming forward in the murder of 14-year-old Nancy Eagleson.
And finally, the station won in the Continuing Coverage category for its series of stories "When justice becomes an injustice" - on claims of wrongful conviction in Lucas County. In March of 2023, Wayne Braddy and Karl Willis were released after a series of 11 Investigates stories on their 1998 murder conviction.
In addition, 11 Investigates documented the stories of several other men who had claims of wrongful conviction. Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken now says the county is committed to starting a conviction integrity unit, a development that he partially credits to the work of WTOL.
WTOL's three regional winners will now advance to the National Murrow Award competition. Winners will be announced in August 2024.
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