IL - Karen and Dyke Rhoads double-homicide of newlyweds, 1986 - wrongful convictions

[mysteriew]

Two men were convicted of the murders. But an investigator was pulled off the case because his investigation began to point to a politically connected businessman and it became a political issue. U.S. District Court has now awarded the investigator nearly $700,000 in damages, due to his free speech being violated.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0505010313may01,1,872378.story?coll=chi-news-hed

[Juliana]

Two men were convicted of the murders. But an investigator was pulled off the case because his investigation began to point to a politically connected businessman and it became a political issue. U.S. District Court has now awarded the investigator nearly $700,000 in damages, due to his free speech being violated.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0505010313may01,1,872378.story?coll=chi-news-hed

I'm just speculating here and really don't know much about any of this at all...but it seems kind of ironic that the man who the investigator believes killed these newlyweds (instead of the 2 men convicted of the crime) made campaign contributions to Ill. Governor George Ryan. The investigator alleges that these contributions led to him being discouraged from pursuing his investigation. Gov. George Ryan commuted the death sentences of all convicts on death row in Illinois in 2003. Wonder if he commuted the death sentences because he knew innocent parties were on death row because of contributions made to his campaign?

[golfmom]

and people accuse me of making this type of crap up regarding Illinois!

[KansasCutie]

I just watched this case on 48 hours mystery, and im so glad that both men have been released from prison finally. I feel so bad for them.