An impostor with a criminal record talked his way into three Philadelphia high schools, district officials say. The man is accused of fooling administers into inviting him to speak to students.

Thousands of runners filed into the Pennsylvania Convention Center Friday to get their bibs for the Blue Cross Broad Street Run and have a little fun.

For high schoolers in Camden, college can sometimes feel like a longshot. In fact, a few years ago New Jersey's governor said Camden had only two college ready graduates. But today, things are much different. In fact, one charter school is shipping an entire class off to college.

Attorney Marissa Bluestine has worked on many appeals of old homicide convictions across Pennsylvania.

It’s her job, after all, as a lawyer with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project.

Then she started digging into several cases of convicted murderers who are all connected through arrests by a group of homicide detectives in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In each of the cases, some serious issues arose about their arrests, confessions and eventual convictions, Bluestine told NBC10 Investigators.

"The first one or two, you say — that’s not possible, that didn't happen. But when you start to hear it from three, four, five, six," she said, "then you start to have some questions."

She started putting the pieces together while working on Shaurn Thomas’s case. His murder conviction was eventually vacated when a witness admitted he lied when interviewed by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit.

A year before Thomas’ conviction was overturned, another Philadelphia man who served decades in state prison, Anthony Wright, was freed after getting a re-trial. In Wright’s case, DNA testing "conclusively excluded" him from the murder he’d been charged with committing.

Then a judge threw out a murder conviction against another man, Jimmie Dennis.

Now, another man, Willie Veasy, who remains in jail 26 years after his 1992 murder conviction, is asking the DA’s office to re-examine his case. The chief of the conviction review unit confirmed her office is looking into Veasy’s case and his claims of a forced confession, a blind eyewitness and a rock-solid alibi.

Learn more about Willie Veasy's story here >>

A common thread that emerged is the Philadelphia homicide detectives who handled Veasy’s case and the others that have since been overturned. Wright and Dennis are suing the City of Philadelphia and a group of detectives, claiming they obtained confessions after violence, planted evidence and coerced witnesses.

A former homicide detective, Jim Trainum, who now lectures detectives on how to avoid obtaining false confessions, reviewed the cluster of cases handled by the detectives named in the Wright civil lawsuit. He said there appears to be enough evidence to warrant reviews of "every single one of the cases" the detectives ever worked.

Bluestine agreed, calling an examination of forced confessions from murder suspects in the late 1980s and early 1990s "as big as any investigation has been. Potentially the biggest in Philadelphia."

Willie Veasy hopes Bluestein and Trainum are right.

"I can't believe I'm actually incarcerated for something I didn't do," Veasy told NBC10 in a phone conversation from Graterford Prison in Montgomery County.

Veasy's interrogation was cited in the 2016 lawsuit that led to the exoneration of Wright. The suit claims a now-retired detective who interrogated Veasy may have forced him into signing a confession by using physical violence including kicking him in the crotch.

Bluestein also uncovered a new admission by a key witness in Veasy's trial. That witness admitted in a sworn statement to a University of Pennsylvania professor that she is legally blind and was at the time she testified to seeing Veasy commit the crime.

The witness, whom NBC10 is not identifying, had agreed to speak about the case, but later changed her mind and declined comment.

An alibi provided by Veasy's former boss potentially punches another hole in the prosecution's case.

Seth Schram was Veasy's manager when they both worked at a Houlihan's restaurant in Jenkintown. Schram said Veasy's timecard from the night of the murder indicated he was at the restaurant when the crime occurred.

The restaurant, now a Chili's, is seven miles from the crime scene at Seventh and Russell streets. It's a drive that takes 30 minutes.

He said there is "zero" possibility Veasy could have clocked in and then went to Seventh and Russell streets that night without anyone noticing.

"That did not happen. Not in Houlihan's restaurant on a Friday night," Schram said.

Veasy said he has renewed hope that he'll get another day in court.

"A lot of times it still seems like it’s a dream," Veasy said. "The justice system has definitely failed me, and for some reason it’s been like that for years.

A toddler is dead and her mother is being questioned about what led to the child's apparent drowning in a bathtub inside the family's Northeast Philadelphia home, sources tell NBC10.

The 2-year-old girl was found unconscious just before 6 p.m. Friday by her father inside the home along the 1000 block of Wilbur Street, police said. He called for help and was holding the baby in his arms when paramedics arrived, law enforcement sources said.

She was rushed to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital and pronounced dead a short time later.

Sources say homicide detectives believe the mother, who apparently has been suffering from mental distress, may have drowned the child.

The mother is being questioned at the Philadelphia Police Homicide Unit.

A would-be burglar had to call the cops when a homeowner shot them for trying to break in to the home.

We start this Saturday off really mild, but as the day goes on temperatures will increase into the mid 70’s. NBC10’s First Alert Weather meteorologist Krystal Klei lets us know about some possible incoming showers that may be heading our way throughout the weekend. Plus, our 10 day on 10.

Tens of thousands of runners are getting ready for the Blue Cross Broad Street Run, and the excitement for the race is running high. On this Saturday morning the Health and Wellness Expo will start up at the Convention Center for day two. The race takes place tomorrow.

An alleged would-be burglar called the cops on himself after an off-duty officer's mother apparently shot at and struck the suspect, Philadelphia police said.

The unidentified suspect ran to a nearby car wash after the shooting early Saturday, climbed to the roof of the business and called 9-1-1, police said.

He suffered injuries from broken glass and a possible graze wound from a bullet, police said. The 43-year-old man was being treated Saturday at Hahnemann Hospital, where he was held in police custody.

The initial alleged burglary occurred sometime before 5 a.m. on Poplar Street near Watts Street in North Philadelphia, police said.

Officers found the suspect a couple blocks away on the rooftop near North Broad and Brown streets.

The suspect is stable at the hospital. The city police officer was not involved in the shooting, cops said. A weapon was recovered, police said, but it is not clear if it is the homeowner's or the suspect's.

Check back for more details on this breaking news story as it develops.

What you should and shouldn't share with community health centers and on trips to clinics for health care screenings.

On a hot, seemingly ordinary night last summer, a man and a woman each walked into a convenience store in Northern Virginia. Minutes later, the man would punch the woman once, killing her after he claims she used a racial slur against him during their brief encounter inside the store.

Fidelia Montiel-Benitez, a 39-year-old mother, died after Robert Coleman punched her. Coleman, a 26-year-old father, told police he struck Montiel-Benitez after they clashed and she called him the N-word. He also claimed he thought she was a man and that they would face off outside. Prosecutors said Coleman was a bully who was looking for a fight.

The altercation was caught on surveillance video obtained by News4, seen here for the first time outside court.

In early April, a jury convicted Coleman of second-degree murder and recommended he serve 10 years in prison.

As the case draws national attention ahead of Coleman's sentencing this month, Montiel-Benitez's loved ones are still reeling from the loss, and Coleman's lawyer is preparing to appeal the verdict.

Surveillance footage shows the strangers' interaction inside the store and a glimpse of the devastating punch. Audio from the trial reveals the victim had a 15-year-old daughter who was forced into foster care after her mother's death.

"To me, my mom was my best friend," her daughter said softly at the trial.

"I'm traumatized. I can't sleep at night. It's difficult. I'm really anxious," the teenager said.

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Before the attack that would kill Montiel-Benitez, security footage from before midnight July 10, 2017 shows her walk calmly into the 7-Eleven store in the 4900 block of Seminary Road, near the Mark Center. Wearing a hooded sweatshirt and carrying a purple backpack, she heads to the cooler, picks out three bottles of beer and walks to the counter.

As she waits for the cashier to ring her up, Coleman walks in and stands a few feet from her. Several seconds later, his girlfriend, Nikki Howard, enters and heads to the soda machine.

As Montiel-Benitez and Coleman wait at the register, Coleman appears to get impatient, pacing behind Montiel-Benitez and crossing his arms. She pays and starts to load the bottles into the backpack at her feet.

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Then, the silent video shows Coleman appear to say something to Montiel-Benitez. At 6-foot-2, he looms over Montiel-Benitez, who stands 5-foot-4. She doesn't appear to reply. Coleman's girlfriend intervenes and pushes Coleman away from the stranger.

Montiel-Benitez walks away. As she opens the door to leave, she turns and appears to say something. Coleman rushes after her.

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Outside the store, silent footage from a camera on a nearby apartment building shows the fatal attack, with the view partially obscured by the leaves of a tree. Montiel-Benitez walks outside, and Coleman charges out behind her and confronts her. Her back is to a brick wall.

Then, Coleman powerfully winds up his right arm and lunges toward Montiel-Benitez. The impact of the punch is blocked by leaves in front of the camera.

Coleman's girlfriend yanks at his white T-shirt and they walk away, leaving Montiel-Benitez lying on the sidewalk.

The back of Montiel-Benitez's head slammed against the brick wall when Coleman punched her. She was conscious when medics rushed her to Inova Alexandria Hospital, an officer testified. She was transferred to Inova Fairfax Hospital with a brain injury. There, she deteriorated and went into a coma. After fighting for her life for 10 days, she died. 

Detectives questioned Coleman the day after the attack, and he initially denied ever having any contact with Montiel-Benitez. But after he learned she was badly injured, he confessed to the crime.

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Coleman told his lawyer, Robert Jenkins, that he had thought Montiel-Benitez, who had short hair, was a man. He said he couldn't remember how the conflict between them started.

Coleman said when Montiel-Benitez called him the N-word, he "snapped," according to his lawyer. Having the slur used against him was "particularly triggering for him."

"He thought this was a one-punch fight and that was it," Jenkins said. "He had no clue that he had caused the death of someone."

Coleman was charged with murder. He pleaded not guilty, and on April 2, his case went to trial. Jurors heard from Montiel-Benitez's daughter and from Howard, Coleman's girlfriend. Howard called the victim "it" and "he" rather than "she," and defended her boyfriend. She claimed Montiel-Benitez had "bucked" at Coleman like she was going to punch him. She said her boyfriend was defending himself against someone who disrespected him.

"You act like a man, you get treated like a man," she said on a phone call with Coleman after the attack, according to her testimony.

In court, Coleman himself apologized to Montiel-Benitez's family.

"I want to start off by saying that I'm extremely sorry for your all loss," he said, reading from a letter he wrote. "It was never my intention, nor was it in my plans, to take your loved one from you all."

A day and a half after the trial began, the jury announced a guilty verdict.

They could have recommended a sentence of 40 years. Instead, they recommended 10 years.

News of the verdict began to gain national attention, with a focus on Coleman's claim that Montiel-Benitez called him the N-word. Jenkins, his lawyer, said he received dozens of emails and calls of support for Coleman, and he is representing him pro bono.

Jenkins said he thought Coleman's account of having a racial slur used against him resonated.

"A lot of people understand how emotionally charged the word is and understand losing your sound mind for a moment when you hear it," he said.

Jenkins said that before Coleman is set to be sentenced on May 24, he will try to persuade the judge that the sentence is too long. Then, he will file an appeal, arguing Montiel-Benitez's death was a horrible accident, not second-degree murder.

Alexandria prosecutor Bryan Porter said the jury's verdict and recommended sentence are appropriate.

"The evidence did not suggest that [Coleman] intended to kill his victim. But obviously that is a foreseeable consequence when someone physically large decides to attack someone who is a lot smaller than them by punching them in the face," he said.

Nothing Montiel-Benitez could have said would have been reason for an attack, Porter said.

"Even if she did use a racial epithet, it can't justify violence," he said.

In two weeks, ACCT Philly will be having a Spring Fling event at the Plymouth Meeting PetSmart. Morgan Polley, from ACCT Philly, and Dawkins, an adoptable dog, joined us in studio to talk about the event and how you can adopt a pet.

Marco Belinelli saved the day at the end of regulation but it wasn't enough in overtime.

The Sixers fell, 101-98, Saturday night to the Boston Celtics in Game 3 at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers are now on the brink of elimination, down 3-0 to Boston.

Al Horford hit the game-winning layup with 5.5 seconds and then the Sixers turned it over on their ensuing possession. Horford added two free throws.

Game 4 is Monday night at 6 p.m.

With the Blue Cross Broad Street Run quickly approaching, Saturday is the last day for runners to pick up their bibs. Bibs are available at the Health and Wellness Expo at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and runners are already lining up to get theirs.

A store owner is fighting for his life after he tried to scare off an armed robber by spraying him with a hose and was shot in the process.

The 40-year-old man was washing his car outside his store on S. 54th and Delancey streets at 1:35 p.m. Saturday when he was approached by a robber armed with an AK-47, police said. When the robber tried to back the man into his shop, the store owner sprayed him in the face with the hose.

The robber then opened fire, striking the store owner in the stomach. The robber then fled west on Delancey Street.

The bullet went through the store owner’s stomach and exited out of his back. He was taken to Presbyterian Hospital where he is currently in critical condition.

The gunman is described as a bald, black male standing 6-feet-tall and wearing a dark hoodie, ripped light blue jeans and white sneakers. If you have any information on the shooting, please call Philadelphia Police.

At least one person was killed and several injured in an accident involving two pickup trucks in Eastampton Township, New Jersey.

The crash occurred around 2:30 p.m. Saturday on Powell Road and US-206.

At least one person died in the crash while several people were hurt. Officials have not yet revealed the victim’s identity or the conditions of the survivors.

The wait is over! The 39th annual Blue Cross Broad Street Run kicks off Sunday at 8 a.m.

Here's what you need to know about the largest 10-mile race in the country.

Race Details

Course - The warm-up area is located at the Central High School Athletic Field at Broad Street and Somerville Avenue. The starting line is located at Broad Street and W. Fisher Avenue, and runners travel through the neighborhoods of Philadelphia along Broad Street to the finish line in the Navy Yard. The race utilizes a corralled, wave system to ensure a smooth start to the race. Entertainment, including music, cheerleading squads and drill teams, will be provided along the course.

Restrictions - All participants are required to run a sub-15 minute per mile pace, due to an agreement with the city and the police department, so that Broad Street can reopen in a timely manner. Runners not keeping this pace will be directed to the sidewalks. The following objects are not permitted on the course: bicycles, skateboards, baby joggers, animals aside from seeing eye dogs, wheeled conveyances and portable media players like iPods or mp3 players. No pets, alcoholic beverages, bags, backpacks or coolers are permitted in the Navy Yard.

Water Stations - Water, and in some cases Gatorade, are available to runners throughout the course. Gatorade is denoted by bright green cups. Bottles of water are available at the finish line.

Water stations are located at the following mile marks:

• Start area
• 2.2 miles (Gatorade station)
• 4.2 miles
• 5.2 miles
• 6.3 miles (Gatorade station)
• 6.9 miles
• 7.8 miles (Gatorade station)
• 8.5 miles (Gatorade station)
• 9.1 miles
• Finish line 

Where/How to Watch

Spectators - Spectators are encouraged to come out to watch the race and encourage runners, and entertainment and refreshments are available throughout the course. There will also be fun activities for spectators of all ages at the Navy Yard.

Some of the best places to watch the race, according to the Blue Cross Broad Street Run website, are the following:

• The start area near Broad and Fisher Street
• North Broad Street along Temple University's campus or near the Philadelphia Daily News Building
• City Hall -- West Side at Dilworth Plaza
• Broad and Walnut Streets outside The Bellevue
• South Broad Street along the Avenue of the Arts, at Carpenter (High School for the Creative and Performing Arts), at Jackson (South Philadelphia High School), at Bigler Street, or at Packer Avenue near Chickie's & Pete's
• Broad and Pattison at the Sports Complex
• The finish line in the Navy Yard, where limited bleacher seating will be available

How to Watch From Home - Can't make it out but still want to watch the race? Coverage on NBC10 starts at 7:30 a.m.

More information on the 2018 Blue Cross Broad Street Run is available at www.broadstreetrun.com.

The first American to cross the finish line of the Blue Cross Broad Street run was from New Jersey and set a personal record for himself. He achieved his goal of reaching top American.

Members of the Lambda Kappa Omega sorority are at Mile 8 of the Blue Cross Broad Street Run, passing out water for runners and keeping the energy high.

NBC10 First Alert Weather meteorologist Krystal Klei is tracking a chance for spot showers during the Blue Cross Broad Street Run. More rain will move in throughout the afternoon and overnight hours.