The man whose cold-case conviction for a 1957 murder was overturned earlier this year wants a judge to take the next step to clear his name.
Jack McCullough case: A Timeline
Attorneys with The Exoneration Project, a legal clinic based at the University of Chicago, filed papers asking for a Certificate of Innocence for Jack McCullough.
Jack McCullough was convicted in 2012 of the murder of 7-year-old Maria Ridulph in 1957. State’s Attorney Richard Schmack reviewed the case and concluded that McCullough could not have committed the murder. In April, a judge reversed the guilty verdict.
However, in his ruling, the judge did not go so far as to declare McCullough innocent. That means, in theory, he could still face arrest and prosecution in the case.
The attorneys working on McCullough’s behalf say in their filing that evidence of his innocence is overwhelming and he should be declared so once and for all.
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They also say there are serious issues with the way the case was handled leading up to the 2012 conviction.
A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Thursday afternoon at the courthouse in Sycamore.
