Christopher Abernathy

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Charge:	Murder and Rape
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment without possibility of parole
Years Imprisoned:	29.17
Year Crime:	1984
Year Convicted:	1987
Year Cleared:	2015
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Illinois
County or Region of Crime:	Cook
City of Crime:	Park Forest
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Christopher Abernathy was wrongly convicted in 1987 of murder in the 1984 death of a 15-year-old Kristina Hickey in Forest Park, Illinois in 1984. After his conviction by a jury Abernathy was sentenced to life in prison without parole. In 2015 Abernathy's conviction were overturned and the charges were dropped based on DNA testing that excluded him as Hickey's murderer. In 2016 Abernathy filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Village of Forest Park, Cook County, and others. In March 2019 Abernathy agreed to settle his civil rights lawsuit for a total of $14,001,000. $13.5 million was to come from two insurers of the Village of Forest Park, $200,000 was to come from the Village of Forest Park itesef, $300,000 was to come from Cook County, and $1,000 was to come from a private polygraph examiner who allegedly tested Abernathy after his arrest and inculpated him in the crime."
Conviction Caused By:	False confession and perjurious testimony by the prosecution's key witness.
Innocence Proved By:	"On February 11, 2015 a Cook County judge granted a motion by the Cook's County State's Attorney to vacate the charges against Christopher Abernathy and dismiss his indictment. He was released that day after more than 29 years in custody. "
Defendant Aided By:	Illinois Innocence Project at the University of Illinois Springfield and Chicago attorney Damon Cheronis. Damon Cheronis was also one of the attorneys who represented Abernathy in his civil lawsuit.
Compensation Awarded:	"$14.001 million total ($13.7 million Village of Park Forest, March 2019) ($300,000 Cook County, March 2019) ($1,000, private polygraph examiner, March 2019)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	18
Age When Released:	48
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"Mom never gave up hope on son wrongly accused in child rape and murder, Frank Main (Staff writer), Chicago Sun-Times, Feb. 11, 2015"
Information Location 1:	http://chicago.suntimes.com/news-chicago/7/71/360901/alvarez-vacate-conviction-1984-slaying-park-forest-teen
Information Source 2:	"$14 million settlement for man cleared of 1984 murder of 15-year-old girl in Park Forest, By Dan Hinkel (Reporter), Chicago Tribune, April 29, 2019"
Information Location 2:	https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-christopher-abernathy-lawsuit-settled-20190429-story.html
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Christopher Abernathy

Charge:

Murder and Rape

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment without possibility of parole

Years Imprisoned:

29.17

Year Crime:

1984

Year Convicted:

1987

Year Cleared:

2015

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Illinois

County or Region of Crime:

Cook

City of Crime:

Park Forest

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

False confession and perjurious testimony by the prosecution's key witness.

Innocence Proved By:

"On February 11, 2015 a Cook County judge granted a motion by the Cook's County State's Attorney to vacate the charges against Christopher Abernathy and dismiss his indictment. He was released that day after more than 29 years in custody. "

Defendant Aided By:

Illinois Innocence Project at the University of Illinois Springfield and Chicago attorney Damon Cheronis. Damon Cheronis was also one of the attorneys who represented Abernathy in his civil lawsuit.

Compensation Awarded:

"$14.001 million total ($13.7 million Village of Park Forest, March 2019) ($300,000 Cook County, March 2019) ($1,000, private polygraph examiner, March 2019)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

18

Age When Released:

48

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Mom never gave up hope on son wrongly accused in child rape and murder, Frank Main (Staff writer), Chicago Sun-Times, Feb. 11, 2015"

Information Location 1:

http://chicago.suntimes.com/news-chicago/7/71/360901/alvarez-vacate-conviction-1984-slaying-park-forest-teen

Information Source 2:

"$14 million settlement for man cleared of 1984 murder of 15-year-old girl in Park Forest, By Dan Hinkel (Reporter), Chicago Tribune, April 29, 2019"

Information Location 2:

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-christopher-abernathy-lawsuit-settled-20190429-story.html

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Book Information (2):

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