Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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Daniel Andersen

 

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

55 years

Years Imprisoned:

27

Year Crime:

1980

Year Convicted:

1982

Year Cleared:

2015

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Illinois

County or Region of Crime:

Cook

City of Crime:

Chicago

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

"Daniel Andersen was wrongly convicted on March 11, 1982 of murder in the stabbing death of 20-year-old Cathy Trunko in Chicago, Illinois on January 19, 1980. Less than a week after the murder Anderson was charged with it based on his confession that he recanted as coerced by his police interrogators. During Anderson's trial the prosecution's case was based on his confession and a knife found near the crime scene that had the same blood type as Trunko's blood -- -- but which was unconnected to Anderson. After Anderson's conviction by a jury he was sentenced to 55 years in prison. Anderson was released on parole in 2007. Post-conviction DNA testing of the blood on the knife in 2014 excluded either Anderson or Trunko as the source. Based on the new exclusionary DNA evidence Anderson filed a motion for a new trial. Anderson's conviction was vacated in July 2015, and on August 13, 2015 the motion to dismiss Anderson's indictment was granted that had been filed by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office."

Conviction Caused By:

Police misconduct of coercing a false confession.

Innocence Proved By:

"Anderson's conviction was vacated in July 2015, and on August 13, 2015 the motion to dismiss Anderson's indictment was granted that had been filed by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office."

Defendant Aided By:

Lawyers Megan Crane and Joshua Tepfer.

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

19

Age When Released:

46

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Judge throws out conviction in murder that made headlines in 1980, By Frank Main, Chicago Sun-Times, July 20, 2015"

Information Location 1:

http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/797662/cook-county-judge-throws-conviction-womans-high-profile-murder

Information Source 2:

"Daniel Andersen v. James Thieret, 903 F.2d 526 (7th Cir. 1990) (Affirming the U.S. District Court's denial of Anderson's federal habeas corpus petition.)"

Information Location 2:

http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/903/526/435652/

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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

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