© 2024 WNIJ and WNIU
Northern Public Radio
801 N 1st St.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-9000
Northern Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Emails Shed Light On Struggle To Dig Into McCullough Case

Danielle Guerra / Shaw Media

The Daily Chronicle recently published a two-part series called “Road to Dismissal” examining letters and emails that take a closer look at how DeKalb County State’s Attorney Richard Schmack became convinced that the wrong man was behind bars for the death of Maria Ridulph of Sycamore. Jack McCullough has since been released from prison, but some in the community still question his innocence. Eric Olson is editor of the Daily Chronicle and talks about writing the story.

Road to dismissal: Pay phone record convinces prosecutor of McCullough’s innocence

Road to dismissal: State's attorney kept McCullough in prison, then worked to free him

What did you learn from State’s Attorney Richard Schmack about the obstacles that he ran into while he tried to investigate this case?

“What the records showed was that he didn’t get a lot of cooperation from the people who usually the State’s Attorney relies on, namely the police.”

0426Olson-a.mp3
Daily Chronicle Editor Eric Olson talks about Schmack's attempts to contact the Illinois State Police

As you talked to State’s Attorney Schmack, what sense did you get as far as what kept him motivated to keep going with the investigation?

“I think he definitely sees it as an ethical issue, that he was ethically compelled to do what he did. Knowing what he knew, and thinking the things that he thought about the case, and what the records showed, if he was to allow Jack McCullough to remain in prison, it would have been a breach of ethics.”

Who would you have liked to hear from?

“The public defender’s investigator Crystal Harrolle.”

0426Olson-b.mp3
Daily Chronicle Editor Eric Olson talks about Crystal Harrolle's role in the investigation

Are you expecting a lot of reaction or letters to the editor?

“I hope that people read it and it sheds some light on what happened here. That was my reason for writing this story. Like everyone else, I wanted to know, ‘How did the DeKalb State’s Attorney come to work with the public defender’s office to free a man that neither of them had as client.’”

0426Olson-c.mp3
Daily Chronicle Editor Eric Olson talks why he wanted to pursue this story

Olson says Schmack emphasized that it was a crime that was thoroughly investigated. Olson says there were a "gaggle" of professional lawmen in Sycamore. The FBI at one point had more than 20 field agents in the area.

0426Olson-d.mp3
Daily Chronicle Editor Eric Olson talks about the 1957 investigation into the murder of Maria Ridulph

Olson says Richard Schmack’s conclusion is that Ridulph was kidnapped between 6:45 and 7:00. Phone records show McCullough made a call from Rockford during that time, and therefore, concludes he could not have taken the girl.

“If you agree with that conclusion, then you can follow him the rest of the way as he goes down the path towards McCullough’s innocence. If you don’t agree with that conclusion, and you feel that the state’s original timeline where she disappeared around 6:00, then you can disagree with it. I don’t know which is the truth. The sad thing is that I don’t know that we will ever know.”

Jenna Dooley has spent her professional career in public radio. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois - Springfield. She returned to Northern Public Radio in DeKalb after several years hosting Morning Edition at WUIS-FM in Springfield. She is a former "Newsfinder of the Year" from the Illinois Associated Press and recipient of NIU's Donald R. Grubb Journalism Alumni Award. She is an active member of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association and an adjunct instructor at NIU.
Related Stories