Question about final appeal case in Chicago

[synthisislab]

This one involved a black guy that witnessed gang members shoot a security guard that was walking their turf late at night. Then they saw the witness and ended up framing him for the murder. Does anyone know all the details (names, dates) and if there was an update to this unfortunate case? I saw it recently for the 1st time on the new UM and was wondering.

[justins5256]

I didn't see it, but here is a synopsis that Crystaldawn sent to me:

Steve Shores and his friend were both coming home on bikes one night after being at the beach at Lake Michigan. He was nearing the El Rukn's headquarters near Drexel Street when he heard a shot. He looks up and sees two El Rukn's gang members, Bo & Blood, and sees Bo shoot again. I'll backtrack here and say they mention El Rukn's was a very powerful Chicago street gang and everyone in the area was afraid of them. After the gang member (Bo) fired the second shot he looks up and sees Steve and points to him. Steve said he never actually saw the murder because he didn't see the victim. Btw the victim was a security guard named Garrison Hester. Steve was confronted by another El Rukn gang member the next morning and gets roughed up. The gang member said if he says anything about what he saw last night he'd end up in the morgue. Acting on a tip 3 days later Steve Shores is picked up for questioning. Out of fear for him and his family's safety he lies and tells police he was home after having some teeth extracted earlier that day. He did have teeth extracted but wasn't at home during the shooting like he stated. Another witness saw the shooter from 100 yards away or so. He didn't pick Steve out of the lineup and his description didn't match Steve as he said it was a dark skinned black male and Steve was light skinned black. Bo and Blood tell this story to the police about how Steve was robbing the security guard and they watched him shoot him. One of the Bo and Blood's friends, Myra Sexton, testifies that she saw Steve 3 hours prior angry and with a gun. Said she was able to calm him down but he wouldn't give her the gun. They also mention Steve's court appointed attorney, named Andrea Lyon. She thought it was best he ask for a bench trial to avoid some fluff that Prosecution would have put on for the jury. During the trial Bo and another gang member came to Steve's family's home and threatened to kill all the MF's there if Steve told what he knew. That seemed to be the last straw for him and he decided to come clean with his attorney and tell her the real story. He said he didn't want to testify for fear of his family's safety and she told him he didn't have to testify. She thought the case would fall apart for the prosecution. Soon after the judge found him guilty though. His attorney feels guilty and blames herself for his conviction and asks the Judge to let him testify even though the trial was over. He agrees but isn't convinced by Steve's testimony and said he believes witnesses and sentences him to 35 years in prison. Steve's request for a new trial is shot down by a 2-1 vote but the dissenting judge, Eugene Pincham, is outspoken about his thoughts that a new trial would acquit him. Two years later Myra Sexton admits to lying about the entire scene with Steve and the gun. Less than a year after Steve went to prison one of his sisters was murdered and he thinks this was retaliation from El Rukn's. The next 13 years Steve spent in prison, Andrea worked at her own cost trying to get him a new trial.

Update: During their 3rd appeal they said the defense found a witness admit to lying and another witness with new info (they never said what the new info was). They said Steve entered an "Alford Plea" which means he pleaded guilty without admitting to committing the crime and was released after having served almost 15 years in prison.

[synthisislab]

Awesome, thanks Justin and Heather.