A shocking case of wrongful conviction has come to light as a man, who spent 35 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, files a lawsuit against multiple defendants including a city and several police officers. Robert Melock filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on December 10, 2024, naming the City of Waukegan and others as defendants.
The case revolves around the brutal murder of Melock's grandmother in 1989. Despite having no physical evidence linking him to the crime, Melock was coerced into signing false confessions after an intense and abusive 17-hour interrogation. His conviction was largely based on these confessions and fabricated testimony from a jailhouse informant. The complaint alleges that police officers conspired to manipulate evidence and withheld exculpatory information, leading to Melock's wrongful conviction and initial death sentence. The lawsuit details how Melock’s constitutional rights were violated when crucial evidence was suppressed by law enforcement.
Melock’s attorneys argue that his ordeal was exacerbated by systemic issues within the Waukegan Police Department, which had a history of flawed investigations resulting in wrongful convictions. They cite multiple cases where similar misconduct led to innocent people being imprisoned. The plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages for his suffering and punitive damages against individual defendants, along with equitable relief against the City of Waukegan.
The attorneys representing Robert Melock are Jon Loevy, Steve Art, Roz Dillon, Wally Hilke, and Fatima Ladha from Loevy & Loevy law firm. The case is identified as Case No. 1:24-cv-12679.