A gripping case of alleged wrongful conviction has emerged from the Northern District of Illinois, where three individuals claim they were imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. On December 22, 2024, Lithia Crafton, Marshalla Kelly, and Marshall Henderson filed a complaint against the City of Chicago and several police officers in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of misconduct that led to their wrongful convictions.
The plaintiffs, represented by attorney Shay T. Allen from S.T. Allen Law, P.C., allege that they were wrongfully convicted for the murder of Andre Jackson due to police misconduct consistent with a pattern within the Chicago Police Department. According to court documents, Crafton, Kelly, and Henderson spent years in prison—Crafton was sentenced to eight years for second-degree murder and aggravated battery; Kelly received four years; and Henderson was sentenced to twelve years—all based on charges stemming from an altercation on August 4, 2016.
The incident began when Devon Powell received aggressive messages from Andre Jackson while sitting on a porch with Marshall Henderson at 4529 W Gladys Ave. Tensions had already been high due to a previous argument involving Marshalla Kelly and Jackson's girlfriend over money owed. On June 18, 2016, Andre Jackson attempted to enter their home armed with a gun. Later that evening, Jackson and another individual arrived at the house and attacked Powell and Henderson. In defense of her friends being assaulted by a much larger aggressor—Jackson was reportedly 6'2" and weighed 376 pounds—Lithia Crafton intervened using a metal bat.
The plaintiffs assert that during the investigation following Jackson's death five days later, Detective Steven Smith and other officers ignored evidence suggesting self-defense and failed to consider key facts such as prior threats made by Jackson with a firearm. Despite calling law enforcement themselves during the attack, Crafton, Kelly, and Henderson were charged with first-degree murder.
After being found guilty in a bench trial for second-degree murder—a decision they appealed—the Appellate Court vacated their convictions upon finding insufficient evidence disproving self-defense claims beyond reasonable doubt. The court acknowledged that Andre Jackson initiated aggression against significantly smaller opponents during an intense confrontation lasting only minutes.
Asserting violations under federal civil rights statutes (42 U.S.C §1983) alongside state law claims including false arrest/imprisonment & malicious prosecution among others; Plaintiffs seek compensatory damages alongside punitive awards along with attorneys’ fees/costs related litigation expenses resulting from prolonged legal battles impacting both physical/mental health while losing homes due incarceration duration until late-2021/mid-2022 respectively.
The Case ID is: 1:24-cv-13146.