News

Man exonerated of 1999 murder sues Lake County, Waukegan

Posted May 03, 2016 7:00 am

The Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) - A suburban Chicago man freed last year after his conviction for a 1999 murder was thrown out because of invalid evidence has sued Lake County and the city of Waukegan.

Jason Strong walked out of Menard Correctional Center in southern Illinois last May after serving 15 years of a 46-year sentence in the death of 34-year-old Mary Kate Sunderlin of Carpentersville. Strong of Waukegan was cleared of Sunderlin's death after Lake County prosecutors and Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office conducted a review of Strong's innocence claim.

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, the 40-year-old Strong alleges Waukegan police coerced witnesses and fabricated evidence, and intentionally inflicted emotional distress and harm due to his incarceration.

Waukegan police Cmdr. Joe Florip says department officials haven't seen the lawsuit.

Article Comments

Article Categories
Chicago Content Providers News Region

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.