A 76-year-old man who a prosecutor says was wrongly convicted in the 1957 killing of an Illinois schoolgirl was released from prison Friday shortly after a judge vacated his conviction, meaning one of the oldest cold cases tried in the nation’s history has officially gone cold again.
Jack McCullough, was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 in the death of Maria Ridulph, 7, in Sycamore, about 70 miles west of Chicago. In a review of documents last year, a prosecutor found evidence that supported Mr. McCullough’s alibi that he had been 40 miles away at the time of the girl’s disappearance.
Judge William P. Brady said Friday that the abduction and slaying had haunted the small town of Sycamore for decades.
“I’m not blind to the importance of this proceeding to many people,” he said, minutes before ordering Mr. McCullough’s release.
Mr. McCullough, in handcuffs, appeared shaken by the decision. Family members behind him hugged and cried. Moments later, Mr. McCullough looked back, winked and smiled broadly.
On the other side of the room, the brother and sister of the victim displayed little emotion.
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