When I got out of prison, I went through a lot of depression wondering why this happened, he says. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bluhm Legal Clinic Northwestern Pritzker School of Law 375 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-3069 Phone: 312.503.8576. The Donald Pritzker Entrepreneurship Law Center (DPELC) continued its Future of Innovation, Sustainability and the Law Speaker Series in February. I think now that my charges are reversed, Ill have a better chance.. Case marks third with Michigan Innocence Clinic, all result in exonerations, From left to right: Amanda Kenner, James Mestichelli, David Moran, Raymond McCann, Greg Swygert, Rebecca Wyss. Constantine A man who was repeatedly hounded by police during an investigation of a girls killing in southwestern Michigan has filed a lawsuit, two years after his wrongful conviction for perjury was thrown out. On February 11, 2015, after being in jail for nearly a year, McCann entered a no-contest plea to the perjury charge that was based on the surveillance video. He was exonerated for the charge after an investigation by the Michigan Innocence Clinic. McCann had said hed briefly stopped that night to search at a trailhead near a ruin where kids often hung out, and then he was called away. Maybe if he sits in jail for a while, he will cooperate.. Loving grandfather of Shana and Carrie Subelsky. After spending 11 months in jail awaiting trial and facing a potential life sentence, McCann pleaded no contest to the count involving the Tumble Dam, believing he had no chance of acquittal if there was a video that contradicted his recollection, especially in a community convinced he had murdered Jodi Parrack. Brother of Jacqueline Ray McCann II: Wrongly convicted, beaten, exonerated WOOD TV8 188K subscribers Subscribe 499 43K views 5 years ago Raymond McCann II was locked up for 20 months for a lie he never told over a. You can see it in their eyes. He was sentenced to 20 months in prison in 2015. Couple Cleared of Wrongful Murder and Rape Convictions That Put Them Behind Bars for 27 Years, Kevin Strickland Exonerated After 43 Years in Prison Following Wrongful Conviction, Tx. McCanns exoneration marks the end of a nightmare that began on November 8, 2007, when 11-year-old Jodi Parrack was reported missing in the small town of Constantine, Michigan. I was a hostage, not a prisoner, and thats the way I felt, McCann, 50, says. Police continued to pursue McCann aggressively for years even though DNA evidence found on the victim did not match McCann. This was one of the worst cases of police tunnelvision Ive ever seen, said Drizin. Mar 01, 2023. New evidence proved him innocent in the case and a St. Joseph County Prosecutor dismissed the charges. He was sentenced to 20 months in prison in 2015. While elated that his legal nightmare is finally over, McCann is still trying to put the pieces of his life back together. Even Judge Stutesman, who accepted the plea and sentenced Ray has said the law is terrible.. ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Mich. -- A man in St. Joseph County will be awarded approximately $40,000 for being wrongly convicted and imprisoned. The motion was filed by the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern Universitys Pritzker School of Law and the Michigan Innocence Clinic at the University of Michigan Law School and was joined by St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough who stipulated that the motion should be granted and the charges dropped. Second, further investigation and a closer look at the video revealed that video camera could not have captured McCanns car because the cameras were not facing the direction of the path to the Tumble Dam. The threat of a life sentence for what could simply be differing recollections is too strong a tool for prosecutors and could lead to further wrongful convictions. In March of 2016, Moran agreed and lawyers and students from both projects launched a re-investigation in the case. Despite intense pressure, McCann insisted that he was innocent. For more recent information, visit The Michigan State Police detective testified under oath that video footage from a surveillance camera on a nearby factory proved McCann was never there that night. McCann said under oath that he had parked at the trailhead and was prepared to search for Parrack there when he got a call and went elsewhere. Drizin recruited his colleagues Greg Swygert and Megan Crane from the Center on Wrongful Convictions, and students Courtney Cronin and Caroline McMahon, to work on the case and approached David Moran, the Director of the Michigan Innocence Clinic, to see if he was interested in partnering. Although DNA evidence found on the victim did not match his, McCann eventually was arrested in April 2014. Four Winds Casino South Bend celebrates hotel grand opening, St. Joe High School basketball player shares his story after overcoming gun violence, Brey preps for final home game as head coach of Notre Dame men's basketball, Free virtual workshop on housing and lending laws, Indiana Toll Road reopens after large police presence. The conviction was thrown out in 2017 at the request of a prosecutor, two years after another man confessed to killing 11-year-old Jodi Parrack. The motion was filed by theCenter on Wrongful Convictionsat Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and theMichigan Innocence Clinicat the University of Michigan Law School, and was joined by St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough, who stipulated that the motion should be granted and the charges dropped. This page only includes allegations against this person for which the CCRB has completed its investigation. The detective also told lies about McCann to his family members and friends, even telling McCanns teenage son that McCann was a drug addict, in an apparent attempt to turn his family and friends against him and get McCann to confess. Its been rough, he says. The detective then persuaded the county prosecutor to issue a subpoena to require McCann to testify under oath concerning his whereabouts at the time of Parracks disappearance. The whole town suspected him of doing it, and its hard to reconcile that.. The conviction was thrown out in 2017 at the. It was a long process. Raymond McCann We found 76 records for Raymond McCann in TX, WA and 26 other states. Parracks body was found there a short time later. Ill never get an apology, I dont think, he says. The lawsuit alleges that McCann was the victim of a corrupt scheme by police. But it did., Photo: Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, An Innocuous Suggestion Raises Suspicions, Rebuilding a Life After Countless Moments Lost, 2007 Murder Investigation: Cold Case Shocker, 'People Magazine Investigates' Features Man's 24-Year Wrongful Prison Sentence: 'Never Thought It Could Happen', 'People Magazine Investigate' s Chronicles How a Professor Helped a Wrongfully Imprisoned Man Get on with His Life, 'I Get to Finally Go Home': Ga. Man Exonerated of Taco Bell Murder After Serving 23 Years in Prison, More Than 15 Years After Madeleine McCann's Disappearance, Questions Remain Unanswered: 5 Things to Know, Mich. Brothers Freed from Prison 25 Years After Wrongful Murder Convictions: 'Total Miscarriage of Justice', Chicago Man Released from Prison 9 Years After Identical Twin Confessed to the Murder That Put Him Behind Bars, Evidence in Hae Min Lee's Murder Case Will Be Tested for DNA at Request of Adnan Syed and State Prosecutors, Tenn. After spending 11 months in jail awaiting trial and facing a potential life sentence, McCann pled no contest to the count involving the Tumble Dam, believing that he had no chance of being acquitted if there was a video that contradicted his recollection, especially in a community that was convinced he had murdered Jodi Parrack. McCann now says he felt no choice but to serve his time, while maintaining his innocence as authorities continued to assume he was involved even as another man eventually confessed to the crime. McCann, Captain Raymond D. Retired Chicago Police Department, passed away on Friday, December 5th. Drizin worked with colleagues Swygert and Megan Crane from the Center on Wrongful Convictions and Northwestern Law students Courtney Cronin and Caroline McMahon and partnered with David Moran, the director of the Michigan Innocence Clinic. A complaint received from a civilian can include multiple allegations. We are grateful to John McDonough, said Gregory Swygert, the lead attorney from the Center on Wrongful Convictions team. The detectives were so desperate to solve this case and so blinded by their belief that McCann must have been involved, they ignored powerful evidence pointing to his innocence.. Shortly after plaintiff's plea-based conviction, another man confessed to the murder of the 11-year-old girl. All content Copyright 2023 WBND. McCann denied any role in the 2007 death of Parrack, but he was interviewed 20 times by state and local police in St. Joseph County. This was one of the worst cases of police tunnel vision Ive ever seen. Ray McCann knew he had no connection to the 2007 strangulation murder of 11-year-old Jodi Parrack in the small village of Constantin, Michigan, where he was a reserve police officer. Drizin recruited his CWC colleagues Greg Swygert and Megan Crane, students Courtney Cronin and Caroline McMahon, David Moran, Director of the Michigan Innocence Clinic, to work on the case. He died in 1976 in Balw, Australia at 23 years old. Its going to take a while to recover. He and his new girlfriend just want to get this behind me and live our lives. This was one of the worst cases of police tunnel vision Ive ever seen, Drizin said. Search Thousands of Civilian Complaints Against New York City Police Officers, Search for Officer by Name or Badge Number. In 2014, the prosecutor then charged McCann with perjury during a murder investigation, which carries a life sentence. These discoveries made it clear that the Michigan State Police detective, who had accused McCann of lying, had testified falsely about the video to Prosecutor McDonough. They stayed in a hotel until December 2015, when they moved into a single-family home where the landlord accepted Fender's Sandy voucher. After spending 11 months in jail awaiting trial and facing a potential life sentence, McCann pleaded no contest to the count involving the Tumble Dam, believing he had no chance of acquittal if there was a video that contradicted his recollection, especially in a community convinced he had murdered Jodi Parrack. The Michigan State Police detective testified under oath that video footage from a surveillance camera on a nearby factory proved McCann was never there that night. Beloved husband to Doris Fay. Again, McCann refused to falsely confess to knowing Furlong. The motion was filed by theCenter on Wrongful Convictionsat Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and theMichigan Innocence Clinicat the University of Michigan Law School, and was joined by St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough, who stipulated that the motion should be granted and the charges dropped. A Michigan State Police detective falsely told McCann they had evidence tying him to the murderincluding that McCanns DNA was on Parracks body and Parracks DNA was in McCanns truck. New York City and the New York Police Department have agreed to collectively pay millions to protesters who were arrested, detained or subjected to violence during a George Floyd demonstration in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx in June 2020, according to a court filing. Northwestern recognized for internationalization amid high demand for global education, Hes helping young musicians bridge the gap between art and business, Trethewey named to the Academy of American Poets, How the second-longest US government shutdown is affecting the economy, Learning to write like a president sounds. Ray McCann was sentenced to 20 months to 20 years . A closer look at the video footage also revealed that it could not have captured McCanns car because the cameras were not facing the direction of the path to the Tumble Dam. RAYMOND MCCANN OBITUARY DDS Jan. 1, 1925 - Dec. 10, 2013 Raymond McCann passed away Tuesday, December 10, 2013 at about 4:50 p.m. Jodi was reported missing at about 7 p.m. by her mother, Valerie Carver, who found her strangled body later that same evening in the local cemetery. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration Constantine police officers and detectives from a Michigan State Police task force questioned McCann nearly two dozen times over nearly five years after Parracks body was discovered. First, the students established that darkness made it impossible to tell whether McCanns car or any other specific cars were in the area near the Tumble Dam path. He hopes to work to change the law that led to his wrongful conviction. 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