A judge on Tuesday dismissed a Chicago man’s double-murder conviction for the shooting deaths of two 14-year-old boys.
Francisco Benitez, a Chicago man, double-murder conviction is dismissed (Photo: aetv)
In a plea for post-conviction relief, a Chicago man named Francisco Benitez, 52, maintained his innocence, claiming that he had an alibi for the April 28, 1989, slayings of Prudencio Cruz and William Sanchez.
In the recent published article by AP News, the Chicago man stated that he was being framed by Chicago detectives.
Cook County Judge Sophia Atcherson issued the ruling after reviewing evidence supporting Benitez’s innocence earlier this year.
Benitez, a Chicago man, was released on personal recognizance with electronic monitoring.
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However, Benitez, a Chicago man, remains charged with murder because prosecutors have not dismissed the case.
According to U.S. News, “this has been a very, very long road, and I’m glad my son is coming home,” said his mother, Betty Benitez.
“This is not normal,” said Joshua Tepfer, one of Benitez’s Exoneration Project attorneys, given the number of overturned convictions in Cook County. “It’s a pandemic. It is a violation of human rights.”
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