Illinois Innocence Project

10/18/2026

A man was incredibly lucky this week to have a tossed just months after it occurred, when evidence became clear that he was convicted in a case of mistaken identity. Tom Lasley bore some physical resemblances and lived in the same neighborhood as a man who assaulted a woman in a dispute and was convicted at trial a few months back. He was in the process of appealing his conviction when a police officer who was a witness but not involved as an investigator realized there were problems that would exclude Lasley as the attacker. His discoveries convinced the district attorney to dismiss the charges, an option that was still available because his conviction had not been finalized.

District Attorney Ashley Welch took the incredibly rare step this week of overturning a prior conviction against a man now known to be innocent.

10/16/2026

You might recall IIP's successful efforts to get an updated compensation bill passed for Illinois a few months back. In , they have no state law that provides for compensating the .

Two exonerees, along with the director of The Kentucky Innocence Project, were recognized with a resolution at Thursday's Louisville Metro Council meeting in conjunction with the International observance two weeks ago, but it does little to fill the void of being left trying to rebuild your life after years were stolen. “I am surviving off the generosity of family and friends,” exoneree Paul Hurt said. “I get disability, so I don’t survive very well. It’s a struggle every day to meet basic needs.”

Kentucky is one of only 10 states that do not offer compensation for time spent wrongfully imprisoned, the Kentucky Innocence Project director said.

10/16/2026

Imagine being the only person ever charged with violating an obscure one-of-a-kind law passed in 1911. Then imagine that what prosecutors wanted to label as a crime was actually a woman who suffered a miscarriage. That all happened in to Patience Rousseau, who spent two years in prison. Her conviction has since been thrown out, she's received a settlement from the county that pursued the case and, perhaps most importantly to her, she has been reunited with the ashes of the baby she miscarried.

Patience Rousseau served more than two years after pleading guilty to manslaughter under a 1911 Nevada pregnancy law in connection with a 2018 miscarriage. Her conviction was overturned in 2021, the charges were dismissed permanently in 2025, and she received a $1.6 million settlement from Humboldt....

10/14/2026

Bite-mark analysis has historically been one of the most spurious types of evidence used in court cases, with Oregon passing a law this year designating it as a discredited science. On that basis, the 1990 murder conviction of Robert Lyons was overturned this summer and he was freed. Now it has come out that other physical evidence from the crime scene -- a b**r bottle and a bag of chips -- were destroyed by authorities in 1990, shortly after they learned the fingerprints on them were not a match to Lyons.

Attorneys with the Forensic Justice Project are arguing now that this latest revelation should lead to a dismissal of all charges against Lyons, removing the possibility that prosecutors could choose to try him once again.

The destruction of evidence amounts to a violation of due process for murder defendant Robert Lyons, 61, a defense attorney says in a new court filing calling for dismissal of the case. The lead detective in the 1989 murder investigation of Lori Stabenow said he remains convinced Lyons is guilty.

10/13/2026

Yesterday we shared news of a lawsuit filed by a man who had been wrongfully arrested at a casino after facial recognition technology mistakenly identified him as another person. The Innocence Project is among those who have filed briefs in support of Jason Killinger's claim. Making this situation even more alarming is not only that police acted improperly once the situation became clear, but the revelation of a sworn statement from a former security officer at the casino that was involved that his work had included at one point the same facial recognition technology producing 12 errors in a single shift.

A former Peppermill Casino guard claims facial recognition produced 12 false 100% matches in one shift, as the ACLU and Innocence Project back a wrongful arrest lawsuit.

10/12/2026

This may be a disturbing glimpse of the future, and it involves both technology errors and . Facial recognition technology at a casino in wrongfully identified Jason Killinger as a man who was barred from a casino, and he was subsequently arrested. Police learned within one day that it was a case of mistaken identity, but a supervisor told the arresting officer not to file a report about it. Killinger has filed suit against the arresting officer and the City of Reno, and is being supported in his efforts by the ACLU and the Innocence Project.

A Reno police detective testified she was ordered not to write a report after confirming Jason Killinger was wrongly jailed following a facial recognition error.

10/11/2026

An from brought particular emotional power to a march Saturday in Texas to urge the state to repeal its death penalty. Shujaa Graham told those assembled what it had done to him to spend 11 years with the ultimate penalty looming over him. "After 11 long years, my greatest nightmare had finally come to an end," Graham said. "But it wasn't true. It still haunts me to death."

People from across Texas are calling on the state government to abolish the death penalty...

10/10/2026

It was a great morning to be out, active and celebrating at today's Prairie Stars 5K and 1 Mile Walk at the University of Illinois Springfield, sponsored by IIP in conjunction with our 25th anniversary celebration.

Here are a few images documenting IIP's efforts to make it a great day for everyone. Even more can be seen at: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19YaUR2tk3/

10/09/2026

Bring home the hardware or just come out, relax and have a good time! The Prairie Stars 5K and One Mile Walk, sponsored by IIP as part of our 25th anniversary celebration, is all set for Saturday. Hope to see you there!

🏆 Race day is tomorrow!

Don’t miss your chance at these awards:
• Overall division winners: trophy, $25 Supplement Superstores gift card, & gift certificate for any clothing item from the UIS Bookstore
• Age division awards: medals awarded to the top 3 finishers in each division

Divisions: men, women, & non-binary
Age groups: 19 & under, 20-21, 22-25, 26-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+

Awards are for the 5K event only. The 1-mile walk is not competitive.

Sign up today before registration increase by $5 tomorrow!

Presented by Illinois Innocence Project

10/08/2026

The big event is just over 36 hours away! Registered yet? IIP is sponsoring this year's Prairie Stars 5K and One Mile Walk event and will be out in full force on Saturday morning. Join us!