(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Cook County State’s Attorney has dropped charges against two of three men accused of the 2011 murder of Chicago Police Officer Clifton Lewis.
Tyrone Clay has been locked up awaiting trial for about 12 years. He’s alleged to have been one of the men who shot the 41-year-old Lewis during the robbery of a convenience store in Austin. Lewis was working as a security guard.
Edgardo Colon, the alleged getaway driver, had his conviction overturned.
A third man, Alexander Villa, was found guilty in 2019 and still is awaiting sentencing.
He filed a motion for a new trial after his attorney alleged misconduct on the part of police and prosecutors, including the withholding of an FBI analysis of cell phone records that showed the men were not at the scene.
There were confessions after long interrogations, during which Clay and Colon, according to attorneys, repeatedly asked for lawyers.
The charges were dismissed for them as detectives and prosecutors were to be questioned under oath about how the case was handled.
As a hearing was set to open, Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin DeBoni announced that all charges were dismissed.
“In light of previous rulings… and after thorough and exhaustive review of the remaining evidence in this case… at this time we do not believe we can meet our burden at trial,” DeBoni said.
Colon’s lawyer, Paul Vickrey, had asked the judge months earlier to sanction prosecutors for withholding information, a motion that was rendered moot when the charges were dropped.
“There was a shocking amount of hidden and destroyed evidence in this case,” Vickrey said in a statment. “But while we are gratified for Edgardo, our hearts go out to the family of Clifton Lewis. A rush to charge and convict was the worst way to honor the short life of a dedicated officer.”
Contributing: Sun-Times Media Wire
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