Anthony Porter

Anthony Porter (born 1955 ) is a former American prisoner who was sentenced to death in 1982 for the murder of two teenagers, Jerry Hillard and Marilyn Green . This verdict was overturned in 1999 after journalism professor David Protess and journalism students as part of the Medill Innocence Project re-investigated the case and brought witness Alstory Simon to a confession.

course

On August 15, 1982, two teenagers, Marilyn Green and her boyfriend Jerry Hillard , were shot dead near a swimming pool in Washington Park in the southern half of Chicago , Illinois . Anthony Porter, an African American , was near the crime scene at the time and was also stopped by the police but let go because he was not carrying a gun.

Two days later, Anthony Porter was arrested on suspicion of murder. William Taylor allegedly saw Anthony Porter kill the two teenagers. Alstory and Inez Simon, friends of the murdered, also accused Porter. A year later, the trial began, in which Anthony Porter was sentenced to death. The execution was delayed in the following years because of appeals for clemency.

Sixteen years later, in September 1998, Northwestern University School of Law's journalism professor David Protess, as part of his Medill Innocence Project , suggested students at the Medill School of Journalism investigate Porter's case more closely. Anthony Porter was about to be executed. Student Tom McCann and private investigator Paul J. Ciolino spoke to the witness William Taylor, who now said he was not even near Washington Park at the time of the crime. He claimed he had been pressured and threatened by the police to make a false statement.

Inez, now separated from her husband Alstory Simon, claimed that her husband had committed the murder. You never saw Anthony Porter yourself. When confronted with the allegations, Alstory Simon confessed to the murders on videotape. The tape was made available to the responsible public prosecutor.

On March 19, 1999, Anthony Porter was pardoned by George Ryan , the governor of Illinois. Ryan also stated that there would only be further executions in Illinois if it was ensured that such mistakes did not happen again.

Alstory Simon was sentenced to 37 years in prison in 1999 for his confession. In 2014 he was released early after 15 years in prison because the public prosecutor dropped the charges against him for illegally extorting a confession. Alstory Simon was addicted to crack at the time of his confession . In addition, the lawyer Jack Rimland was recommended to him as his defense attorney, who in fact worked with the other side, the Medill Innocence Project.

Footage

documentation

• 2014: A Murder In The Park - Innocent on Death Row. Creators: Shawn Rech, Brandon Kimber

Web links

• Article: "Race with the Executioner" (from the time )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Martin Preib: Crossing Lines: What's Wrong with the Wrongful Conviction Movement. Newcity, February 20, 2014, accessed November 11, 2014 . 
2. ↑ Jim Stingl: Duped by Medill Innocence Project, Milwaukee man now free. Milwaukee and Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, November 6, 2014, accessed November 11, 2014 .