What we’re about
This group will meet to discuss all things True Crime: current and cold cases, solved and unsolved, forensics, DNA technology and genealogy, prosecution and defense, wrongful convictions, detective work and victim advocacy. We will discuss podcasts and documentaries, and each month we will meet and discuss a specific case.
Upcoming events (3)
See all- January Meet-Up: Reynaldo Guevara1628 5th Ave W, Laurel Park, NC
Reynaldo Guevara, now 80 and retired, was a "legendary" detective for Chicago PD in the 1980s and '90s. He was known as "The Closer" for his ability to solve cases that his colleagues could not. Now disgraced for his actions, Guevara has been accused of bribing, beating, torturing, and threatening people to obtain false confessions. Many also accuse him of denying them legal representation during exceptionally long interrogations. At least 45 people, one of them being convicted to death row, who were framed by Guevara have since been exonerated. His victims spent decades in prison for crimes they did not commit. The City of Chicago has spent $35.7 MILLION for legal fees defending Guevara. The city has also paid out $60.5 MILLION in settlements, with another 35 lawsuits still pending. As he was retired at the time of these lawsuits, Guevara still collects his annual pension of $91,000.
Guevara's misconduct and ever-growing cost to the city and its tax-paying citizens, raises numerous questions: Should he still be entitled to his pension? Should Guevara face criminal charges? Are his supervisors and colleagues in the legal system equally culpable for his misconduct and resulting false convictions? What kind of settlement do these exonerees deserve? Should the police have more funding to provide more oversight or less funding due to these actions? Is community oversight warranted? What can be done to prevent this from happening again? Should the death penalty remain in use?
Video Clips
WGN News Coverage Part 1
WGN News Coverage Part 2
Cousins exonerated after 42 years of incarceration
Websites/Articles
The Marshall Project
Death Penalty Information Center
WTTW Crime & Law
Innocence Project: Illinois Cases
Innocence Project: Reynaldo Guevara
Podcasts
Defense Diaries
Wrongful Conviction
Bloodshed and Bagels (full disclosure: I have not listened to this particular podcast and am not familiar with the podcaster)
Lava for Good