Michigan Man Exonerated in 2007 Murder After 20 Months in Jail: 'I'll Never Get an Apology' Ray McCann's 2014 arrest was a cold-case shocker as he was charged with perjury in the then-unsolved. Says McCann: The system already failed me. The threat of a life sentence for what could simply be differing recollections is too strong a tool for prosecutors and could lead to further wrongful convictions. Ilana Braverman, co-founder and COO of Greener Northwestern University and Northwestern Pritzker School of Law hosted its annual DREAM Week, commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Held on both the Evanston and Chicago 2023 Northwestern Pritzker School of Law News, Community Justice and Civil Rights Clinic Hosts Mayoral Town Hall with GoodKids MadCity, Ilana Braverman, Co-Founder and COO of Greener by Default, Speaks at the Future of Innovation, Sustainability and the Law Speaker Series, Civil Rights Lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill Speaks on the Power of Making Your Voice Heard During DREAM Week Keynote. But the only criminal charge that resulted was for perjury. RAYMOND MCCANN OBITUARY Raymond A. McCann S. Harrison Twp., NJ Raymond A. McCann age 69, of S. Harrison Township passed away Thursday, November 13, 2014. Constantine A man who was repeatedly hounded by police during an investigation of a girls killing in southwestern Michigan has filed a lawsuit, two years after his wrongful conviction for perjury was thrown out. All of the charges stemmed from minor discrepancies between McCanns recall of the events surrounding Parracks disappearance five years earlier and the recollections of others. Evanston, IL 60201. Named a suspect and jailed for 20 months on a plea deal after the prosecutor said he lied while under investigation, McCann last month saw his conviction vacated after the prosecutor agreed to drop the charge. McCann said under oath that he had parked at the trailhead and was prepared to search for Parrack there when he got a call and went elsewhere. McCann said under oath that he had parked at the trailhead and was prepared to search for Parrack there when he got a call and went elsewhere. 312.503.2391 phone You may be included in this settlement if you bought certain Coffee-Mate powder creamers (listed on the settlement site) between January 1, 2017 and December 8, 2022. Ray McCann knew he had no connection to the 2007 strangulation murder of 11-year-old Jodi Parrack in the small village of Constantin, Michigan, where he was a reserve police officer. Raymond McCann served 20 months for perjury after taking a plea deal in what a federal lawsuit claims was a scheme to manufacture charges to pressure him into confessing to the 2007 murder of 11-year-old Jodi Parrack. Under terms of the settlement announced today, McCann admits no wrongdoing or liability. Brother of Jacqueline While McCann was in prison, a man named Daniel Furlong attempted to abduct another young girl in nearby White Pigeon, Michigan. He lost his job, was estranged from his son, and his wife divorced him.. The motion was filed by theCenter on Wrongful Convictionsat Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and theMichigan Innocence Clinicat the University of Michigan Law School, and was joined by St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough, who stipulated that the motion should be granted and the charges dropped. Loving grandfather of Shana and Carrie . The conviction was thrown out in 2017 at the. He hopes to work to change the law that led to his wrongful conviction. I knew Id get home sooner. The detectives were so desperate to solve this case and so blinded by their belief that McCann must have been involved, they ignored powerful evidence pointing to his innocence.. Thiscase was the CWCs third partnership with the Michigan Innocence Clinic, all of which resulted in exonerations. While elated that his legal nightmare is finally over, McCann is still trying to put the pieces of his life back together. This case highlights the dangers of how strong tunnel can be. Thats why Im so thankful.. Five months later, in August 2015, authorities identified another suspect, Daniel Furlong, after Furlong was arrested on suspicion of luring and assaulting a 10-year-old girl who escaped. Christmas came two weeks early for Raymond McCann II when St. Joseph County, Michigan Circuit Court Judge Paul E. Stutesman signed an order today granting McCanns motion to vacate his 2012 perjury conviction. In 2014, the prosecutor then charged McCann with perjury during a murder investigation, which carries a life sentence. 53550 Generations Drive South Bend, IN 46635. Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. If she wasnt found there, wed just continue to look, he tells PEOPLE now. After McCann was paroled from prison, Ken Kolker, a television reporter from WOODTV in Grand Rapids, contacted Steven Drizin, an attorney at Northwesterns Center on Wrongful Convictions, and asked him to evaluate the interrogations of McCann. This was one of the worst cases of police tunnel vision Ive ever seen, Drizin said. Couple Cleared of Wrongful Murder and Rape Convictions That Put Them Behind Bars for 27 Years, Kevin Strickland Exonerated After 43 Years in Prison Following Wrongful Conviction, Tx. The perjury statute that coerced Ray to plead guilty needs to be changed, Swygert said. McCanns exoneration marks the end of a nightmare that began on Nov. 8, 2007, when 11-year-old Jodi Parrack was reported missing in the small town of Constantine, Michigan. A Michigan State Police detective falsely told McCann they had evidence tying him to the murderincluding that McCanns DNA was on Parracks body and Parracks DNA was in McCanns truck. (Credit: Center on Wrongful Convictions, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law). Stepping back into town, he feels really uncomfortable. Case marks third with Michigan Innocence Clinic, all result in exonerations, From left to right: Amanda Kenner, James Mestichelli, David Moran, Raymond McCann, Greg Swygert, Rebecca Wyss. McCanns exoneration marks the end of a nightmare that began on November 8, 2007, when 11-year-old Jodi Parrack was reported missing in the small town of Constantine, Michigan. JOSEPH COUNTY, Mich. -- A man in St. Joseph County will be awarded approximately $40,000 for being wrongly convicted and imprisoned. On the day Parrack went missing, McCann who knew the victim and her family well told at least four people that they should search the local cemetery, a suggestion also made by others. It was a long process. McCann denied any role in the 2007 death of Parrack, but he was interviewed 20 times by state and local police in St. Joseph County. McCann was charged with perjury for a lie he never told. Michigan Innocence Clinic Director David Moran (left) and Raymond McCann II, Support The National Registry of Exonerations , The Contribution of Forensic and Expert Evidence to DNA Exoneration Cases, Race and Wrongful Convictions in the United States, 2022, Government Misconduct and Convicting the Innocent, Witness Recantations: Preliminary Findings, May 2013, Exonerations in the United States: 1989 - 2012, Tell us about an Exoneration that we missed, Other Michigan Exonerations with Innocence Organization Involvement. On December 7, 2017, St. Joseph County, Michigan Circuit Court Judge Paul E. Stutesman signed an order today granting Raymond McCann IIs motion to vacate his 2015 perjury conviction. This was one of the worst cases of police tunnelvision Ive ever seen, said Drizin. Second, further investigation and a closer look at the video revealed that video camera could not have captured McCanns car because the cameras were not facing the direction of the path to the Tumble Dam. This was one of the worst cases of police tunnelvision Ive ever seen, said Drizin. He told investigators he did not know McCann. Search Thousands of Civilian Complaints Against New York City Police Officers, Search for Officer by Name or Badge Number. the city's database of civilian complaints against the NYPD. Brother of the late A Man Halts His Murder Trial, Confesses to Killing Teen Girl After Valentine's Dance 47 Years Ago, videotape of his confession obtained by WOODTV. These discoveries made it clear that the Michigan State Police detective, who had accused McCann of lying, had testified falsely about the video to Prosecutor McDonough. information about the Registry, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense. The detective then persuaded the county prosecutor to issue a subpoena to require McCann to testify under oath concerning his whereabouts at the time of Parracks disappearance. Constantine police officers and detectives from a Michigan State Police task force questioned McCann nearly two dozen times over nearly five years after Parracks body was discovered. Under interrogation, Furlong insisted he did not know McCann and told the authorities that when he learned that McCann had been arrested, he believed that he was in the clear.. Constantine police officers and detectives from a Michigan State Police task force questioned McCann nearly two dozen times over nearly five years after Parracks body was discovered. The detective then persuaded the county prosecutor to issue a subpoena to require McCann to testify under oath concerning his whereabouts at the time of Parracks disappearance. Today, he acted honorably in placing his duty to seek justice ahead of his desire to preserve a wrongful conviction.. Police questioned him nearly two dozen times over five years. Its going to take a while to recover. He and his new girlfriend just want to get this behind me and live our lives. For more recent information, visit I didnt want to, but I had to, he says. If you're in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist . McCann now says he felt no choice but to serve his time, while maintaining his innocence as authorities continued to assume he was involved even as another man eventually confessed to the crime. He currently is serving a sentence of 30 to 60 years in prison. Parracks body was found there a short time later. In fact, even after Furlong was identified by DNA evidence as the killer, the authorities went to McCanns prison and tried to pressure him into admitting that he and Furlong were accomplices. I was a hostage, not a prisoner, and thats the way I felt, McCann, 50, says. on our list, Other
He told authorities he saw Parrack riding her bike while he was cleaning his garage and asked her to help. Second, further investigation and a closer look at the video revealed that video camera could not have captured McCanns car because the cameras were not facing the direction of the path to the Tumble Dam. He. Loving step-father of Mark (Lori) Subelsky and Steven (Shelley) Subelsky. A Michigan State Police detective falsely told McCann they had evidence tying him to the murderincluding that McCanns DNA was on Parracks body and Parracks DNA was in McCanns truck. Devoted father of Stephen McCann of Newton, Sharon Biddy and her husband Robert, Ronald McCann, Donna J. Taylor and her husband Greg all of Waltham. Ray has only stepped foot in this small town two or three times since being released, says his attorney. McCanns criminal case was reopened after an investigation by law schools at the University of Michigan and Northwestern University. 375 East Chicago Avenue Hes also thankful that the prosecutor and judge agreed to consider the motion for his exoneration that was prepared by the two legal defense clinics, and then agreed to void his conviction. The Michigan students made two important discoveries which proved that there was no video evidence to prove that McCann had lied under oath about driving to the Tumble Dam. I wasnt going to take the chance of going to trial and being charged with life. Offered a deal that would lock him up for 20 months with credit for time already served, he accepted and pleaded no contest in March 2015. He became a person of interest in the case after he was one of several people to suggest searching the local cemetery. Bluhm Legal Clinic Northwestern Pritzker School of Law 375 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-3069 Phone: 312.503.8576. In 2014, the prosecutor then charged McCann with perjury during a murder investigation, which carries a life sentence. RAYMOND C. McCANN, Respondent, v. KATHLEEN D. McCANN, Appellant. While McCann was in prison, a man named Daniel Furlong attempted to abduct another young girl in nearby White Pigeon, Michigan. The trial court sentenced plaintiff to a term of 20 months to 20 years' imprisonment with credit for 336 days for time spent in the St. Joseph County Jail while awaiting trial. What they did to me was wrong, completely. Weve pretty much mended back. The whole town suspected him of doing it, and its hard to reconcile that.. I think now that my charges are reversed, Ill have a better chance.. The detective also lied about McCann to his family and friends in an apparent attempt to turn them against him and get McCann to confess. Ill never get an apology, I dont think, he says. The threat of a life sentence for what could simply be differing recollections is too strong a tool for prosecutors and could lead to further wrongful convictions. Police continued to pursue McCann aggressively for years even though DNA evidence found on the victim did not match McCann. the city's database of civilian complaints against the NYPD, the department is not forthcoming despite, Read more about what weve included in the database and why, see our answers to questions we have received about this data, downloadable from ProPublicas Data Store, Abuse of Authority: Threat To Damage/Seize Property. Hundreds of people who were trapped, beaten, and wrongfully arrested by New York City police officers during a nonviolent 2020 racial justice protest in the Bronx will each receive $21,500 if a judge approves the terms of a settlement filed in federal court late Tuesday. He eventually admitted to killing Parrack eight years earlier, and a subsequent DNA test on Furlong matched DNA found on Parrack. McCann, a reserve police officer, agreed to help participate in the search. I put a bag over her head and killed her, Furlong said in court in November 2015, when he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. These discoveries made it clear that the Michigan State Police detective, who had accused McCann of lying, had testified falsely about the video to Prosecutor McDonough. Nov 30, 2015 40 Dislike Share WOOD TV8 170K subscribers A former Michigan State Police detective who came out of retirement to solve the Jodi Parrack murder said he has no regrets about how. On February 11, 2015, after being in jail for nearly a year, McCann entered a no-contest plea to the perjury charge that was based on the surveillance video. In 2012, with the investigation going cold, the Michigan State Police detective told one of McCanns relatives that he wanted to see McCann locked up to increase the pressure on him toconfess. After spending 11 months in jail awaiting trial and facing a potential life sentence, McCann pleaded no contest to the count involving the Tumble Dam, believing he had no chance of acquittal if there was a video that contradicted his recollection, especially in a community convinced he had murdered Jodi Parrack. Ray McCann was sentenced to 20 months to 20 years . Under interrogation, Furlong insisted he did not know McCann and told the authorities that when he learned that McCann had been arrested, he believed he was in the clear.. The judgment incorporated a marital settlement agreement (MSA) which, in part, awarded the family residence to wife, and required husband to pay $2,300 per month in support, one half was designated as child support and . McCann served 20 months in jail and prison after feeling pressured to plead no contest to perjury. Northwestern recognized for internationalization amid high demand for global education, Hes helping young musicians bridge the gap between art and business, Trethewey named to the Academy of American Poets, How the second-longest US government shutdown is affecting the economy, Learning to write like a president sounds. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Theyre truly sorry. In March 2016, lawyers and students from both projects launched a re-investigation in the case. The Michigan State Police detective testified under oath that video footage from a surveillance camera on a nearby factory proved McCann was never there that night. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Suspicion and accusation had raised doubts, and the town and McCanns own family turned against him. These discoveries made it clear that the Michigan State Police detective, who had accused McCann of lying, had testified falsely about the video to Prosecutor McDonough. Get the latest stories from Northwestern Now sent directly to your inbox. Data on this page may be out of date. McCann, a reserve police officer, agreed to help participate in the search. In 2012, the Michigan State Police persuaded the county prosecutor to issue a subpoena to require McCann to testify under oath concerning his whereabouts at the time of Parracks disappearance. The state of Michigan agreed to pay $40,000 for McCanns time in prison under a law that compensates the wrongly convicted. I think now that my charges are reversed, Ill have a better chance Avenue, Chicago, IL Phone! County, Mich. -- a man named Daniel Furlong attempted to abduct another young girl in nearby Pigeon. Cases in the True crime Newsletter in March 2016, lawyers and students from both projects a! 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