A harrowing tale of injustice unfolds as a man wrongfully imprisoned for over four decades seeks redress against those he claims orchestrated his conviction. David Ayala has filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on December 12, 2024, accusing numerous Chicago police officers and prosecutors of framing him for a double homicide that occurred in 1981.
David Ayala was just 18 years old when he was accused and subsequently convicted of the Pietrowski Park murders in Chicago, Illinois. He served an unjust life sentence based on what he asserts were fabricated testimonies and evidence orchestrated by members of the Chicago Police Department and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Ayala's complaint names William Foster, Ernest Hernandez, James Schmidt, B. Miller, E. Labiak, Stephen Casto, Thomas Richardson, Thomas Ptak, Michael Duffin, Richard Solita, Reynaldo Guevara among others as defendants.
The crux of Ayala's case lies in the alleged misconduct by law enforcement officials who purportedly coerced false testimonies to implicate him falsely. According to Ayala's complaint, the testimony that led to his conviction came from Wally Cruz ('Gator'), one of the actual perpetrators coerced through threats and bribery by the defendant officers and prosecutors. "Cruz initially denied any involvement but eventually admitted his involvement in the shooting," reads the complaint. However, it is claimed that Cruz truthfully stated neither Ayala nor his cousin James Soto had anything to do with the crime.
Ayala contends that this miscarriage of justice was further compounded by systemic issues within the Chicago Police Department and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office which fostered environments where such injustices could occur unchecked. The plaintiff accuses these entities of suppressing exculpatory evidence and failing to disclose crucial information during his trial—a practice allegedly rampant at that time.
The lawsuit not only seeks compensatory damages for Ayala's wrongful imprisonment but also punitive damages against those responsible for what he describes as egregious violations of his constitutional rights under 42 U.S.C § 1983—due process violations including fabrication of evidence and malicious prosecution among others.
Ayala is represented by attorney Jennifer Bonjean while Judge Milton Shadur presides over this case filed under Case ID: 1:24-cv-12800.