Jack McCullough filed a lawsuit against state and local authorities just days after he was granted a certificate of innocence.
McCullough’s lawsuit accuses Sycamore, Illinois, and Seattle police of conspiring with DeKalb County prosecutors to frame him. He was previously convicted in 2012 for the 1957 murder of Sycamore resident Maria Ridulph. However, the decision was overturned last year when phone records showed McCullough was in Rockford at the time of the incident.
The Daily Chronicle reports McCullough’s accusations against the police include fabricating a false timeline for the crime, creating a biased photo lineup, and ignoring the fact that the FBI ruled out McCullough as a suspect in its initial investigation.
Defendants typically have 60 days to respond to such a lawsuit. McCullough’s attorney says a successful lawsuit of this type typically brings in $1-2 million for each year of wrongful imprisonment.