The Illinois Innocence Project, based at the University of Illinois Springfield, announced the full exoneration of six clients in Cook County today after they collectively served 124 years in prison for a murder they did not commit.
Brothers Robert Cardona and Gregorio Cardona, Lowell Higgins-Bey, Harry Rodriguez, Michael McCastle and Fernando Gomez were all teenagers or young adults when they were wrongfully convicted in 1989. Their exoneration follows decades of advocacy and a 2022 post-conviction DNA test that excluded all six men and identified an unknown male as the likely perpetrator.
“From day one, my brother and I fought to prove our innocence and clear our names,” said Robert Cardona. “So many years were taken from us, but we are thankful that the world now knows the truth – that all six of us are innocent and were framed by the police.”
The men were convicted of the 1987 murder of a man in Humboldt Park. Although police initially identified a suspect, the investigation was taken over by now-disgraced Chicago detectives Reynaldo Guevara and Ernest Halvorsen, who instead focused on the six young men. No physical evidence ever tied them to the crime.
“This is Chicago’s version of the well-known case of the Central Park Five,” said Lauren Kaeseberg, IIP legal director. “Guevara and Halvorsen tore these kids off the streets, physically and psychologically assaulted them, coerced false statements and truly terrorized them into confessing to a crime they had nothing to do with.”
Only five of the six lived to see their names cleared. Harry Rodriguez died in prison in 2019 while serving a life sentence. His son, Daniel Rodriguez, stood in his place in court today.
Representing the men in court were IIP Legal Director Lauren Kaeseberg and Staff Attorney Brandon Klages, who began working on the case as a UIS student in 2019. They partnered with Michael Oppenheimer and Jon Neuleib of the Oppenheimer Firm.
“After years, this case has come full circle,” Klages said. “I was proud to stand with these clients as they were finally exonerated.”
“We can never give these men their lives back, but today good prevailed over evil,” said Michael Oppenheimer. “This is a story about resilience and family. Seeing brothers Robert and Gregorio standing next to Daniel, who was only 2 years old when his father was wrongfully imprisoned, was incredibly moving.”
Numerous IIP staff and students contributed to the case over the years, including significant investigative work by Senior Staff Investigator Lynn Bagley. Gus Zaruba, an intern with the Oppenheimer Firm, also provided case and client support.
With today’s exonerations, IIP has now helped free 33 innocent people in Illinois. Eight of those were framed by Guevara and Halvorsen, including Adolfo Frias, who was freed in January, and Marilyn Mulero.