Attacks on media concerning Heirens trial are irresponsible, scurrilous

William Heirens, 73, has spent 56 years in prison for committing among the most infamous crimes of the 20th century.

Heirens confessed to murdering 6-year-old Suzanne Degnan and two other women.

Now Gov. George Ryan is being asked to free Heirens - to grant executive clemency on the grounds that Heirens was not guilty of the crimes, and was coerced into confessing in order to avoid a death sentence.

Heirens’ freedom is the latest goal of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University, which has done such wonderful work in rescuing innocent men from death row.

Even if Heirens did commit the crimes, I hope Ryan grants him freedom. I believe in mercy, forgiveness and rehabilitation. And maybe he is innocent.

So I’m another bleeding heart liberal. Never said I wasn’t.

In making their case, Heirens’ defenders attack the integrity of both prosecutors and defense lawyers in the case.

They also blame the newspapers for persecuting Heirens.

Here are some of their accusations:

-”A fair trial was denied by a pernicious press.”

-”Chicago’s newspapers covered the case sensationally and irresponsibly.”

-”...it was an atmosphere devoid of the slightest semblance of justice or decorum.”

-”...a barrage of screaming black headlines and often-fabricated stories..

-”...poisoned media climate.”

And the topper:

- “The hidden indentation writing allegedly uncovered by Chicago Daily News artist Frank San Hamel was a fraud and a hoax.”

The people accused of fraud and a hoax and fabrication and irresponsibility and sensationalism are dead and unable to defend themselves.

With one exception. Me.

I am very much alive and able to respond to these scurrilous and irresponsible attacks.

The coverage was sensational. Quite a lot like coverage of the O.J. Simpson case, or Clinton’s sexual adventures, or the disappearance of Rep. Gary Condit’s lady friend.

Evidence against Heirens was circumstantial. A major factor was the kidnap note. San Hamel examined the note and found indentations that indicated the note came from a pad by a phone near Heirens’ dorm room at the University of Chicago.

The FBI had examined the note and found no indentations. This led the Northwestern folks to declare San Hamel’s finding “a fraud and a hoax.”

I wrote the stories on the hidden handwriting on the note. I did not participate in a fraud and a hoax.

Another piece of evidence that the Northwestern people haven’t addressed, to my knowledge, is the prints on the kidnap note.

Chicago’s police superintendent asked the FBI to evaluate nine fingerprints on the note.

I have a copy of the Western Union response:

“Urlet June 29 re Suzanne Degnan kidnap and murder. Latent palmprint on kidnap note identical left palm print of William Heirens. John Edgar Hoover.”

The Heirens’ defenders called the FBI “the most technologically advanced crime detection laboratory in the country.” Therefore, they reasoned, if the FBI said there was no hidden writing, there was no hidden writing.

When the same FBI lab found Heirens’ palm print on the kidnap note, were they wrong?

The Northwestern people asked for my input into the matter. I offered to show them a blowup of the hidden writing, and the copy of the telegram from J. Edgar Hoover.

I have received no response.

As I said, I hope they succeed in getting Heirens out.

But their irresponsible and inaccurate excess in attacking the newspapers doesn’t help their credibility.

They weren’t there.

I was.