Chicago brothers inching closer to full innocence, 30 years after wrongful murder convictions

Jon Burge
Former Chicago police Cmdr. Jon Burge leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on June 29, 2010. Photo credit Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Two brothers are one step closer to full innocence after serving years behind bars for a murder they did not commit.

In 2021, Reginald Henderson and Sean Tyler had their convictions in the 1994 murder of 10-year-old Rodney Collins vacated, and all charges were dropped. This was after the brothers served over 25 years behind bars.

Ever since, the two have been seeking certificates of innocence to not only clear their records but also entitle them to state payouts of about $200,000.

After fighting those efforts for quite some time, Cook County prosecutors had a change of heart this week and told both Henderson and Tyler they will stop opposing their push for the certification.

Both men argued they were forced into confessing to the murder by detectives under disgraced police commander Jon Burge, while a number of trial witnesses revealed they were also forced to testify against the two.

“It kind of sucks justice takes this long, but it is what it is,” Tyler told reporters.

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Featured Image Photo Credit: Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images