Prosecutors To Again Interview Man Convicted Of 1982 Double Murder
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cook County prosecutors were taking another step Wednesday toward possibly releasing a man from prison - 15 years after he confessed to two murders.
WBBM Newsradio's Steve Miller reports the Cook County State's Attorney's office was expected to conduct a second interview of Alstory Simon on Wednesday.
The office's Conviction Integrity Unit first interviewed Simon a month ago.
In October, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez ordered a review of Simon's case.
Simon confessed to the 1982 murders of Marilyn Green and her fiancé Jerry Hillard, but has since claimed his confession was coerced.
Simon's attorneys have questioned the tactics used by former Northwestern University professor David Protess, and a private investigator with the Medill Innocence Project. They claimed the investigator told Simon if he confessed to the murders in self-defense, he'd only serve a short time, and would get rich from book and movie deals.
Simon's confession led to the release of the previous suspect, Anthony Porter, who was on death row for the murders before he was set free in 1999.
Protess has stood by Porter - saying he is the innocent one.
Simon's attorney said they also have an affidavit from the man who was chief of the criminal division of the state's attorney's office when Porter was freed, and Simon was imprisoned.
That affidavit from former Assistant State's Attorney Thomas Epach says he had questions about Simon's guilt and Porter's innocence.
