On dutyMental IllnessDestroy/conceal/fabricate evidenceForced confessionExcessive forceLegal access deniedThreats/intimidationFalse arrest or reportPhysical forceGunNightstickOther charges filed
Plaintiff:
Harold Hill
Allegations:
In October 1990, Chicago firefighters found the remains of a woman in an abandoned building. Nearly a year and a half later, Hill, 18, was arrested on a robbery charge. At the police station, several officers interrogated Hill about many crimes, including the woman's murder, and used physical force to try to coerce a confession. After initially maintaining his innocence, Hill eventually gave in and falsely admitted to assaulting and murdering the woman. Hill's confession also implicated two other men. One of the men had an IQ of 56, well below the benchmark for retardation, and records revealed the other was in jail at the time of the woman's murder. The officers used physical force to make the two men confess, including beating one with a blackjack and putting a pistol in his mouth. The officers released one of the men Hill had implicated but used false information and destroyed evidence to prosecute Hill and the other man. Both men were tried, found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Several years later, DNA material from beneath the woman's fingernails and hairs on her body revealed a unique profile of two unidentified men. In January 2005, the charges against Hill and the other man were dropped.