Strategic communications can do more than shape how organizations tell their stories. In some cases, sustained communications work can renew public attention on unresolved issues and the people affected.
Chase Global is a strategic communications consultancy founded by Brad Chase, who has spent 20 years advising Fortune 500 companies, startups, nonprofits, and campaigns. Founded as a purpose-driven organization, the firm dedicates 10% of its working hours to pro bono projects for nonprofits, social campaigns, and individuals.
One of those projects became a six-year effort involving Nicholas “Nick” McGuffin, an Oregon man who spent nearly a decade in prison after being convicted of manslaughter in the 2000 death of his teenage girlfriend, Leah Freeman.
McGuffin’s conviction was overturned in 2019 after previously undisclosed DNA evidence raised new questions about the case. Attorney Janis Puracal, who worked to overturn McGuffin’s conviction, later approached Chase Global founder Brad Chase about helping shift the public narrative.
Revisiting a Nationally Covered Case
Rather than pursuing widespread media coverage, Chase Global focused its strategy on ABC News, which had previously covered McGuffin’s arrest and prosecution.
The approach resulted in a new two-hour special examining Freeman’s death, McGuffin’s conviction, the DNA evidence, and the legal effort that led to his release. Working closely with McGuffin and Puracal, Chase Global helped coordinate the production and shape an effort that placed both McGuffin’s wrongful conviction and Freeman’s still-unsolved murder back in the public spotlight.
The special aired in February 2020, following an accelerated seven-week production schedule. It subsequently generated additional coverage of the case across national news outlets and podcasts.
Chase Global continued working on the effort pro bono for several years, seeking opportunities to keep the case visible as McGuffin pursued formal recognition of his innocence.
A Six-Year Campaign Produces Results
In August 2025, McGuffin became the first person in Oregon to receive a Certificate of Innocence, which formally declared him innocent of the crimes for which he was convicted. The following month, the Oregon State Police forensic laboratory and the City of Coquille and its police department announced settlements totaling more than $14 million. The murder remains unsolved.
The campaign demonstrates how a focused communications strategy can help revisit an established public narrative and sustain attention on an issue long after the original news cycle has passed. Instead of seeking the largest possible volume of media coverage, Chase Global focused on outlets with an existing connection to the case and sustained the effort over several years as new developments emerged.
Chase Global won a Stevie® Award for Achievement in Non-Profit or Charity Organizations in The 2026 American Business Awards®.
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