The Fear of 13

The Fear of 13 documents the life of a convicted murderer who spent 21 years on death row in Pennsylvania. Through his own narration, Nick Yarris explains how he tried to convince the court to carry out his execution. However, it later emerged that he was innocent, with DNA evidence proving this in 2004.

Woven into the mystery of why he would ask to be executed despite his innocence, Yarris details his childhood and the many times he found himself in trouble. He faced obstacles throughout his life, but his time in prison gave him an opportunity to learn about himself and the wider world. He offers a critique of the justice system as he describes the knowledge he gained while unjustly serving time for a crime he did not commit. The title of the documentary refers to the meaning of the word triskaidekaphobia, one of the many words Yarris taught himself while incarcerated.