Inmate Whose Confession Led Ill. to End Death Penalty Is Released

By Brett Snider, Esq.

An Illinois inmate has been released after over a decade in prison for a double-homicide conviction that was key to ending the state’s death penalty.

Alstory Simon was the second person to be convicted for a 1982 double murder, but there were serious questions about whether Simon’s confession was coerced, the Sun-Times Media Wire reports. Now, more than three decades after the deaths, Illinois prosecutors have asked that charges against Simon be dropped.

What happened in Simon’s case, and why is he now being released?

One Man Convicted, Then Released, Then Another

The man who was originally convicted for the 1982 murders was Anthony Porter, who came within moments of being executed before being released in 1999. According to the Sun-Times Media Wire, the case was instrumental in convincing then-Gov. George Ryan to “declare a moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois.”

Simon was then charged for the murders, largely based on the fact that prosecutors were able to secure his confession. The Chicago Tribune reports that Simon’s videotaped confession was obtained by a private …read more

Source:: Law Blog

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