| |  | | | IIP Attorney Lauren Kaeseberg and Exoneree Bill Amor | | |
We are thrilled to announce the exoneration of William (Bill) Amor – acquitted Wednesday after his retrial in DuPage County, Ill.
Bill spent 22 years in prison for arson-murder after being convicted in 1997 based on now-erroneous evidence of arson and a false confession. Wednesday’s victory came after Bill courageously endured a two-week retrial pursued by prosecutors despite the fact that Judge Liam Brennan had vacated Bill’s original conviction nearly one year ago.
When asked by media if he was surprised by the verdict, Bill said, “I’ve always been hopeful. I’ve always known eventually the system would do the right thing. It’s unfortunate it took 22 years. But there are others behind me so we’ll focus on them.” Though he needs time to process the end of his wrongful conviction nightmare, Bill is clear about his intentions to help free other innocent people.
Bill was convicted in 1997 of arson-murder after his mother-in-law died in an apartment fire. Bill’s legal team demonstrated that the fire was likely an accidental fire (not arson) and established that the confession in the case was, as Judge Brennan put it, “scientifically impossible.”
Bringing justice to Bill was a Herculean effort that took six years and an army of attorneys, investigators, fire science experts, students and volunteers. We thank Bill’s trial team for their dogged determination to win back Bill’s life: Lauren Kaeseberg, IIP Chicago legal director; Tara Thompson, staff attorney for the Exoneration Project; Erica Nichols Cook, formerly of IIP and currently director of the Wrongful Conviction Division for the Iowa State Public Defender; Lauren Myerscough-Mueller, IIP staff attorney; and Kevin Caraher, of the law firm Cozen O’Connor.
View our Facebook album of photos from Bill's exoneration day! | 
