3 Wrongfully Convicted Released After 20 Years

[Dazzler]

CHICAGO (AP) — After spending almost two decades in jail for a rape and murder he didn't commit, Robert Taylor walked out of an Illinois prison a free man Thursday with just one word to describe the feeling: Beautiful.

"I'm still getting used to it," he told The Associated Press by phone shortly after leaving Stateville Correctional Center. "I knew it would come."

Taylor, 34, was among three men serving prison time for the 1991 rape and murder of a 14-year-old suburban Chicago girl whose convictions were vacated Thursday after DNA evidence linked another man to the crime. Five were convicted in total; prosecutors said they planned to vacate the convictions of the two others who've already served prison sentences.

The men were convicted as teenagers in the rape and murder of Cateresa Matthews of Dixmoor, which is about 20 miles south of Chicago. She disappeared after leaving her grandmother's house in November 1991 and her body was found weeks later near a highway with a gunshot wound to the mouth.

The murder went unsolved for about a year. Then in 1992, the teens were arrested. Two signed confessions and agreed to testify against the others for shorter prison sentences, even though attorneys said there were inconsistencies in their testimony and DNA evidence taken from the girl did not match any of the five teens.

Prosecutors reopened the case this year after new DNA testing linked a convicted rapist to the crime. He has not been charged in Matthew's killing, but remains under investigation and is serving prison time in Cook County for a drug offense, authorities said.

Those in the courtroom Thursday were stunned.

"It's truly unexplainable," said Taylor's attorney Josh Tepfer who works for Northwestern University School of Law's Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth. "It's one of the most tragic injustices in this state's history. It's five kids who were wrongfully convicted ... while a true perpetrator went on and lived a criminal lifestyle."

The prosecutors' move came after years of legal battles for the three men — Taylor, Jonathan Barr, 34, and James Harden, 36.

"He's lost his childhood. You can't put a price on that," said Craig Cooley, a staff attorney with the New York-based Innocence Project, who represented Barr. "He's angry at what happened, but he's forgiven and is moving on."

Barr and Harden, who are brothers, were both in custody at Menard Correctional Center and to be released once paperwork was completed.

"Their mother and father passed away while they were in prison," said Tara Thompson, a staff attorney with the University of Chicago Law School Exoneration Project, who represented Harden. "He missed the opportunity to go to college. Everything you've done in your life since high school, he's missed out on that."

Thursday's case, once dubbed "The Dixmoor Five," is among the dozens of wrongful conviction cases in Illinois made public in recent years. Allegations of torture and coerced confessions by Chicago police eventually helped lead then-Republican Gov. George Ryan in 2000 to impose a moratorium on Illinois' death penalty. Earlier this year, Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation abolishing the death penalty in Illinois.

Defense attorneys in the Dixmoor case blame a series of missteps on prosecutors and local police at the time, including allegedly coerced confessions.

"The fact that they accepted these false confessions is tunnel vision," Cooley said. "The fact that they couldn't look outside these confessions, and say, 'Wait a minute.'"

The teens, including the victim, all knew each other from school. Defense attorneys claim the teens who confessed were questioned relentlessly and at least in one case were told that they could see their parents if they signed confessions.

Robert Lee Veal, 34, and Shainne Sharp, 36, confessed and agreed to testify against the others in exchange for reduced 20-year prison sentences. Records show each served about 10 years.

Veal, who has "severe learning disabilities," could not read when he was arrested and signed a confession not knowing what it was, his attorney Stuart Chanen said.

Taylor also had confessed to the crime, but later recanted saying it was coerced. He and Harden were sentenced to 80 years in prison. Barr received 85 years.

Defense attorneys had asked for new DNA testing in 2009. New tests this year isolated a genetic profile from swabs taken from the victim. Illinois State Police uploaded it to a database which matched the profile of a man who was 33 at the time of the 1991 murder and had been convicted of a separate sexual assault.

Dixmoor police declined to comment Thursday.

"We conducted a very detailed and extensive investigation into the details of this case," said Cook County state's attorney's office spokeswoman Sally Daly.

Sharp is in custody at Westville Correctional Facility in Indiana on a drug offense, according to Indiana Department of Corrections records.

Veal, who lives in St. Paul, Minn., was very happy to hear the news, his attorney said.

While Veal has been out of prison since 2002, his wrongful conviction dramatically altered the course of his life. Unemployed, Veal spent a good chunk of his life behind bars at a time he might otherwise have been getting help for learning disabilities and he's had difficulty finding work, Chanen said.

"It's virtually impossible to get a job with a murder conviction, with being an ex-con ... on your rap sheet," said Chanen. "At least he gets the stench of that off his record."

Taylor said family support was his lifeline in prison. He was eager to see them again.

I'm always going to be angry, due to what was taken away from me. I can't get that back," he told AP. "I'm not going to let my anger drive what I want to do with the rest of my life. There is so much I want to do."

[bmonska]

They talk about 5 teens being convicted for this but only three were released and sentences vacated. What happened to the other two? Sad to hear one of the guy's parents died while in prison. I think that would bother me the most about the situation. I wish them all well. Great article.

[TimeStandsStill]

They talk about 5 teens being convicted for this but only three were released and sentences vacated. What happened to the other two? Sad to hear one of the guy's parents died while in prison. I think that would bother me the most about the situation. I wish them all well. Great article.

The article says:  Robert Lee Veal, 34, and Shainne Sharp, 36, confessed and agreed to testify against the others in exchange for reduced 20-year prison sentences. Records show each served about 10 years.

Sharp is in custody at Westville Correctional Facility in Indiana on a drug offense, according to Indiana Department of Corrections records

While Veal has been out of prison since 2002, his wrongful conviction dramatically altered the course of his life. Unemployed, Veal spent a good chunk of his life behind bars at a time he might otherwise have been getting help for learning disabilities and he's had difficulty finding work, Chanen said.

[Dazzler]

Notice the last line of this article.  The man was delayed being released until appropriate living arrangements where vetted by the IDOC!!!
When do they start to leave them alone for spending 20 years behind bars an innocent men....I can't imagine having to still answer to the IDOC.





CHICAGO (AP) - A 34-year-old suburban Chicago man who served 20 years in prison for a rape and murder he didn't commit has been freed.

Jonathan Barr is the last of 5 men who were wrongfully convicted in the 1991 crime to be released.

Convictions against 3 of the men were vacated last week after DNA evidence linked another man to the killing of a 14-year-old Dixmoor girl.

Prosecutors say they'll also vacate the convictions of 2 other men who had completed their sentences.

The Chicago Tribune reports (http://trib.in/tE5bkZ ) that Barr was released from Menard Correctional Center on Wednesday.

He was greeted by his brother, James Harden, who was also a co-defendant. Harden was released last week.

Barr's release was delayed as corrections officials vetted his new living arrangements.

[me]

November 14, 2011 (CHICAGO) (WLS) --

Two men who spent years in prison had hoped to have their names cleared Monday after being wrongly convicted of the 1991 rape and murder of a Dixmoor teenager.


DNA evidence previously proved that five men convicted were not connected to the 1991 Dixmoor crime. Three were granted new trials and eventually released from prison. Two others were already finished serving ten-year sentences and out on good behavior when the evidence was tested.

Robert Veal was just 15 at the time Cateresa Matthews, 14, disappeared walking home from school. Her body was found two weeks later. She had been sexually assaulted and shot.

Convictions vacated against 3 in 1991 slaying
Veal and four other teenagers were convicted of her murder. In 2009, attorneys for the men filed a motion to test DNA. That evidence pointed to another suspect. Earlier this month, a judge vacated the convictions of the three men still behind bars serving life without parole.

Veal and Shianne Sharp have been out of prison for ten years. Veal said he has had trouble finding a job since he was released.

But the judge denied the exoneration motion Monday, saying defense attorneys and the state have to use different legal procedures to vacate the convictions of Veal and Sharp. The judge had logistical problems with the motion.

"Ten days ago, the same judge vacated the convictions of three other defendants. Those three went to trial in 1994 and were convicted after trial. The hangup that the judge has is that Mr. Sharp and Mr. Veal pled guilty. As a procedural matter, she thinks that has a different effect on how their convictions can now be vacated," said Veal's defense attorney Stuart Chanen.

Chanen said the delay will last until at least December 2.

"Hopefully not beyond December 2," he said. "It will depend on whether the government is prepared to step up and admit some of the things that went wrong in this case."

Of the three men who served longer sentences, Robert Taylor was the first to be released. He walked out of prison November 3.

"It has been a hard run. But I made it," he said.

James Hardin was released a day later, and his brother, Jonathan Barr, was released the following day.

All three served almost 20 years in prison.

"When the DNA excluded them, and they should have known right then and there, these confessions were no good. But obviously, today is a day to rejoice," said Joshua Tepper.


http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8431102&cmp=emc-wls-Top_Stories-111411-top1-8431102

[me]

Illinois Man Freed After Murder Conviction Vacated
11/5/11 @ 10:48:40 am


CHESTER, Ill. (AP) — One of two Illinois brothers wrongfully convicted in the 1991 rape and murder of a suburban Chicago girl is free but his brother will spend at least a few more days behind bars.

 

James Harden, who is 36, was released from Menard Correctional Center in southern Illinois Friday afternoon. But defense attorney Craig Cooley said paperwork related to a decades-old juvenile conviction will mean 34-year-old Jonathan Barr will likely remain at the prison at least into next week.

 

A judge vacated their wrongful convictions this week based on DNA evidence.   The men were among five teenagers convicted of killing Cateresa Matthews in Dixmoor.    The judge also cleared Robert Taylor, who was released from prison Thursday. The two other men have served their sentences.
 
 
   http://www.wjbdradio.com/?f=news_single&id=29816

[TimeStandsStill]

Conviction in 20-year-old murder wiped from books
Man exonerated in 1991 Dixmoor rape, slaying
By Brian Slodysko, Chicago Tribune reporter
5:30 a.m. CST, December 13, 2011

A man who served 10 years in prison after confessing to the rape and murder of a 14-year-old Dixmoor girl, a crime in which four other teens also were implicated despite contrary DNA evidence, was exonerated Monday.

Robert Veal's murder conviction was vacated by Cook County Circuit Judge Michele Simmons, said Veal's attorney, Stuart Chanen. Prosecutors say they will not seek a retrial.

"He's very happy to be exonerated, and he's glad to have the murder conviction off his record," Chanen said. "It enables him to do things that he couldn't do before. He's going to start looking for a job."

Veal and four others who were teens at the time were convicted of the rape and murder of Cateresa Matthews, who disappeared after leaving her grandmother's home in Dixmoor in November 1991. Roughly three weeks later, she was found dead from a gunshot wound in a field near Interstate Highway 57.

Veal and Shainne Sharp confessed to the murder during police questioning and agreed to take the stand against Robert Taylor, James Harden and Jonathan Barr. Lawyers sought to overturn the convictions after DNA testing tied a convicted rapist who lived by Matthews to the murder. The convicted rapist has not been charged with Matthews' murder or rape.

In November, Taylor, Harden and Barr, who were all serving longer sentences than Veal, were exonerated and released from prison. Despite having already served his time, Veal, too, sought exoneration, but a decision was delayed in part because Veal had pleaded guilty to the crimes. An attorney for Sharp, who is in an Indiana prison on drug charges, could not be reached for comment.

"I still feel like I always felt — (police) didn't want to hear what we were saying," said Taylor, who, along with Barr and Harden, always maintained his innocence.

Taylor said he doesn't harbor a grudge against Veal, who was also not available for comment.

"He got railroaded. He was doing the best thing he could," Taylor said.

Attorneys working on behalf of the so-called Dixmoor Five note similarities between the case and the separate convictions of four teenagers now serving sentences of at least 30 years for a 1994 sexual assault and murder in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood. Like the Dixmoor case, DNA testing linked the Englewood killing to someone else — in this instance, a deceased man who was a suspect in two other murders, said Josh Tepfer of the Center on Wrongful Conviction of Youth, who represented Taylor. A judge vacated those convictions as well, though prosecutors have not said yet if they will seek a retrial.

"These (convictions) tell us a story of policemen … who are using the process of purported confessions as a way to close cases. It's scary and horrific," Chanen said.

After being behind bars since he was a teen, Taylor, who was freed last month, said finding a job has been "rough."

"Humbling yourself in a job setting … you got to dress the part. It takes some getting used to," Taylor said. "Just take it one day at a time and deal with that. You go day by day by day."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-dixmoor-five-exonerated-1213-20111213,0,1534852.story