Metro East detective called a liar; charges dropped in murder case

EAST ST. LOUIS -- Prosecutors in St. Clair County plan to scrutinize all criminal cases involving an East St. Louis investigator after a judge found him not credible, prompting a murder suspect to be cleared.

Prosecutors this week threw out the first-degree murder charge against 21-year-old Joshua Custer in a 2007 shooting after a judge suppressed statements Custer made to police Detective Ricky Perry.

St. Clair County State's Attorney Robert Haida says the judge found Perry to be a liar. Haida has told East St. Louis officials that he now won't press charges in any case in which Perry is the charging officer.

Perry isn't commenting. A message left by The Associated Press at his office hasn't been returned.

The city manager plans an internal investigation of the police department.