Francisco Benitez sues city, two former CPD detectives over wrongful murder conviction
Francisco Benitez claims two former detectives coerced him into a false confession, and also coerced two witnesses into falsely implicating him.
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Francisco Benitez claims two former detectives coerced him into a false confession, and also coerced two witnesses into falsely implicating him.
James Soto, 62, and David Ayala, 60 were wrongfully convicted in two 1981 murders and were expected to be released on Thursday.
Two cousins who have been incarcerated for more than 40 years were expected to be freed after a judge exonerated them on Thursday for two 1981 murders. CBS 2's Shardaa Gray went to the Cook County Jail, where one of the men was set to be released.
Two cousins who have been incarcerated for more than 40 years were expected to be freed after a judge exonerated them on Thursday for two 1981 murders. CBS 2's Shardaa Gray went to the Cook County Jail, where one of the men was set to be released. After the judge exonerated James Soto, 62, and David Ayala, 60, there were tears of joy from family members.
"Relief, happiness, it was just amazing to walk out of there," Brian Beals said after he was released from prison. "I'm ready to begin life again."
"I just want to thank everybody for not only giving me a second chance but not treating me like a criminal."
Massive payouts were given to avoid litigation because of the wrongdoing of police officers decades ago.
The City of Chicago has forked over tens of millions of dollars in recent years to people wrongfully convicted because of actions by Chicago police. Members of the City Council have asked whether the police officers involved in these cases are still getting their city pensions
Nicholas Trutenko and Andrew Horvat are charged in connection with the wrongful prosecution of Jackie Wilson.
"Chicago is the wrongfully convicted capital of the United States. So, we need to stop being that."
"This is a classic frame-up case the Chicago Police Department has perpetrated against a number of people."
Lee Harris said he lost 33 years he can't get back, but through his lawsuit he can make sure someone else doesn't lose that kind of time.
Francisco Benitez, 52, claimed Chicago police framed him. In August, his murder conviction was tossed out by a judge.
The city will be on the line for $20 million, and its insurance company will be responsible for the other $5 million.
CBS 2's Chris Tye is always investigating and has more on the Monday debate over that very question by the city's finance committee.
"I always knew he was innocent. I just never believed it would take this long."
On Thursday, a judge overturned Louis Robinson's conviction for a 1996 murder.
Tyrone Hood and Wayne Washington were cleared of the 1993 slaying of Marshall Morgan Jr. only after both had already spent years in prison.
We uncovered Washington's story last year, when he took his fight for his innocence all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court.
David Wright was just 17 years old when he says Chicago police detectives forced him to confess to the murder of his friends, 16-year-old Tyrone Rockett and 26-year-old Robert Smith, in 1994.
Reginald Henderson and Sean Tyler both spent more than 20 years in prison for a murder they did not commit.
Two brothers who were exonerated for a murder they did not commit after spending nearly 30 years in prison will try again on Thursday to get an official certificate of innocence.
Two brothers will learn on Monday if they will be given a certificate of innocence, after being exonerated for a murder they did not commit.
A new initiative launched in Northwest Indiana Thursday is aimed at not only helping exonerees get their freedom, but also regain their next steps. CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reports.
It has been three weeks since the largest mass-exoneration for murder in U.S. history – which was all connected to one man, retired Chicago Police Detective Reynaldo Guevara.
Chicago helped shape the nation in so many ways, including the pioneering of skyscrapers – the big, beautiful buildings the city of big shoulders introduced to the world.
A Chicago bus driver is out of a job after he was caught on camera with his hands off the wheel and his eyes glued to his cell phone.
Police in Chicago's south and southwest suburbs are teaming up to target thieves targeting video gambling machines, which have become an increasingly popular target for burglary crews.
An eagle-eyed drone pilot helped spot a missing foster puppy who had been out in the cold for more than two weeks in Chicago's northwest suburbs.
The city of Aurora is kicking off Black History Month by honoring a living legend, one of the last remaining Negro Leagues baseball players.
The footage is included in a video that promotes false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against Mr. Trump.
The FBI has arrested "one of the key participants" behind the attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 that killed four Americans.
A new push to pass a GOP elections bill known as the SAVE America Act is underway in Congress, but Democrats warn the proposal could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.
As immigration sweeps expand nationwide, the work of justifying detentions is overwhelming federal prosecutors, who are being forced to sideline a range of other cases in order to keep pace.
Marimar Martinez, the Chicago woman shot five times by a Border Patrol agent in October, plans to attend President Trump's State of the Union address to Congress later this month, according to her attorney.
This week marks Identity Theft Awareness Week, and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza emphasized some safety tips Monday for avoiding and dealing with identity theft.
A controversial data center in Naperville, Illinois, could be the cause to pack a city council meeting there on Tuesday night.
Police in the west Chicago suburb of Geneva are warning of a scam involving spoofed phone numbers.
Protesters on Tuesday were cranking up the heat on Peoples Gas over a recently proposed rate hike that would add an additional $10 to $11 a month to utility bills.
A lawsuit filed late last month took Chicago-based McDonald's to task over the McRib sandwich, calling its name a form of false advertising.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital announced this week that it is planning to open a new pediatric hospital in the west Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.
It has been nearly six years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the many questions doctors are still working to answer concerns the long-term effects.
Leaders from Cook County, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository denounced changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Wednesday.
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center has received a grant from The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation for a new cancer center.
Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital said Tuesday that it is no longer initiating gender-affirming medical treatment for minors.
A Near West Side diner known for drawing in Blackhawks fans and players is up for sale.
January may be the coldest time of the year, but Chicago is already looking forward to summer farmers' markets.
A development proposal issued this month calls for the replacement of a building housing a Giordiano's pizzeria in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood with a new mixed-use building with 28 residential units.
United Airlines flight attendants picketed outside Chicago's Willis Tower Thursday morning as they fought for a new contract.
WSCR-AM, 670 The Score, will begin a simulcast on 104.3 FM next month.
Gamers across the world can now recreate drone strikes in Ukraine from the comfort of their own home, with this newly released game.
The members of Ratboys were teenagers when they met by chance, and now in their 30s, the Chicago band formed by two college friends almost two decades ago appears to be on the brink of something big.
Chuck Negron, a founding member of Three Dog Night whose lead vocals powered a string of hits for one of the top rock acts of the late 1960s and early '70s has died. He was 83.
Bad Bunny used his Grammy acceptance speech on Sunday to denounce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and call for the end of the ongoing immigration crackdown.
The 2026 Grammy Awards recognized the best of the best in music from last year, with big wins for Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny. Here's the full list of winners and nominees.
Meteorologist David Yeomans has the latest First Alert Weather forecast.
Chicago helped shape the nation in so many ways, including the pioneering of skyscrapers – the big, beautiful buildings the city of big shoulders introduced to the world.
A Chicago bus driver is out of a job after he was caught on camera with his hands off the wheel and his eyes glued to his cell phone.
Police in Chicago's south and southwest suburbs are teaming up to target thieves targeting video gambling machines, which have become an increasingly popular target for burglary crews.
An eagle-eyed drone pilot helped spot a missing foster puppy who had been out in the cold for more than two weeks in Chicago's northwest suburbs.
Police in Chicago's south and southwest suburbs are teaming up to target thieves targeting video gambling machines, which have become an increasingly popular target for burglary crews.
An eagle-eyed drone pilot helped spot a missing foster puppy who had been out in the cold for more than two weeks in Chicago's northwest suburbs.
A source close to the investigation said the woman worked for the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
A federal judge in Chicago has ruled key evidence in the Marimar Martinez shooting, including bodycam video and text messages, can be released.
Chicago helped shape the nation in so many ways, including the pioneering of skyscrapers – the big, beautiful buildings the city of big shoulders introduced to the world.
Fewer Chicago kids are getting the dental care they need, and some dentists are blaming Chicago Public Schools.
Cynthia Eason recounted the moment Chicago police officers raided her family's home in 2018.
Water bills could be going up in several Chicago suburbs and other parts of Illinois, as Illinois American Water seeks a rate increase to fund infrastructure improvements.
The case involves a Chicago grandmother, her daughter, and her four grandchildren, who all said that Chicago police officers pointed guns at them during the botched raid.
Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel no longer will have to testify about an alleged "code of silence" at the Chicago Police Department, after a federal judge reversed an earlier ruling that would have allowed him to take the stand in a lawsuit over a botched police raid.
Two west suburban high schools have something extra to celebrate Sunday, when alumni from their schools make their Super Bowl debuts.
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are underway after the lighting of the Olympic cauldrons and the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony.
Caleb Williams certainly had plenty of big throws to celebrate in 2025, but it wasn't hard to pick his most memorable one after he launched a 46-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore to beat the Packers in overtime in Week 16.
Brandon Ingram scored 33 points, Immanuel Quickley had 24 and the Toronto Raptors beat the new-look Chicago Bulls 123-107.
Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney was named the NFL's top offensive lineman of 2025 on Thursday, winning the inaugural Protector of the Year Award.
A South Side community came together on Friday, hoping for justice after a woman was shot and killed while her baby was in the back seat of their car earlier this week.
A Chicago city employee was found shot to death Friday morning inside an apartment in the West Ridge neighborhood.
Actor Timothy Busfield has been indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, officials said Friday.
A burglary crew smashed into a restaurant in Chicago's southwest suburbs, leaving the owner cleaning up a big and frustrating mess.
Six months after a well-known charter boat captain was found dead at DuSable Harbor in downtown Chicago, a man has been charged with his murder.
