Shawn Whirl

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	60 years
Years Imprisoned:	24.5
Year Crime:	1990
Year Convicted:	1991
Year Cleared:	2015
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Illinois
County or Region of Crime:	Cook
City of Crime:	Chicago
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Shawn Whirl was wrongly convicted in 1991 of a murder committed in 1991 in Chicago, Illinois. Whirl's conviction by a jury was primarily based on the evidence of his confession that he recanted as false and extracted by police torture. Whirl was sentenced to 60 years in prison. In 2014, a Cook County judge denied Whirl's post-conviction petition for a new trial even though the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission, formed to look into alleged Chicago police torture of criminal suspects, ruled that Whirl's confession had been coerced. On August 12, 2015 the Illinois Court of Appeal reversed the lower court's ruling and ordered that Whirl receive a new suppression hearing concerning the admissibility of his confession, and, "if necessary, a trial." On October 13, 2015 a motion to dismiss the charges against Whirl filed by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office was granted. Whirl was released the next day after almost 25 years in custody."
Conviction Caused By:	False confession extracted by torture of Chicago PD officers.
Innocence Proved By:	"On August 12, 2015 the Illinois Court of Appeal reversed a ruling by the trial court and ordered that Whirl receive a new suppression hearing concerning the admissibility of his confession, and, "if necessary, a trial." On October 13, 2015 a motion to dismiss the charges against Whirl filed by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office was granted. Whirl was released the next day after almost 25 years in custody."
Defendant Aided By:	Attorney Tara Thompson and the University of Chicago Exoneration Project
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	20
Age When Released:	45
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Inmate who alleges Chicago police torture released, By Associated Press, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 14, 2015"
Information Location 1:	http://www.seattlepi.com/news/us/article/Inmate-who-alleges-Chicago-police-torture-released-6570883.php
Information Source 2:	"Conviction of alleged Chicago police torture victim vacated, By Associated Press reporter, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 12, 2015"
Information Location 2:	http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/article/Conviction-of-alleged-Chicago-police-torture-6441082.php
Information Source 3:
Information Location 3:
Information Source 4:
Information Location 4:
Information Source 5:
Information Location 5:
Book About Case:
Book Information:
Book About Case (2):
Book Information (2):
Movie About Case:
Comments About Case:

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Shawn Whirl

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

60 years

Years Imprisoned:

24.5

Year Crime:

1990

Year Convicted:

1991

Year Cleared:

2015

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Illinois

County or Region of Crime:

Cook

City of Crime:

Chicago

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

False confession extracted by torture of Chicago PD officers.

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Attorney Tara Thompson and the University of Chicago Exoneration Project

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

20

Age When Released:

45

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Inmate who alleges Chicago police torture released, By Associated Press, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 14, 2015"

Information Location 1:

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/us/article/Inmate-who-alleges-Chicago-police-torture-released-6570883.php

Information Source 2:

"Conviction of alleged Chicago police torture victim vacated, By Associated Press reporter, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 12, 2015"

Information Location 2:

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/article/Conviction-of-alleged-Chicago-police-torture-6441082.php

Information Source 3:

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: