Trial expected to begin in girl’s 1957 killing
More than 50 years after a young Sycamore girl’s kidnapping and death grabbed national headlines, the man accused in the crimes is expected in court.
The trial for Jack McCullough of Seattle is expected to begin Monday.
He’s accused of felony murder, kidnapping and abduction charges in the death of 7-year-old Maria Ridulph of Sycamore. She disappeared in December 1957 and her body was found a few months later about 120 miles from her home.
McCullough was arrested last year in Seattle and brought to Illinois. He’s pleaded not guilty.
It’s one of the nation’s oldest cold cases, something which can present problems for attorneys. For one, memories have faded. Prosecutors’ case is largely based on circumstantial, or nonphysical, evidence.
McCullough’s attorney, Tom McCulloch, says the case is challenging.