A man previously convicted of killing a Chicago police officer has been released from prison after his conviction was overturned by a Cook County judge.
Alexander Villa was one of three people charged in the 2011 killing of CPD officer Clifton Lewis.
Villa’s life sentence was tossed by a judge this week, marking the latest fallout in a case marred by alleged police and prosecutorial misconduct.
Lewis was off-duty and working as a security guard at a convenience store on Chicago’s West Side when he was shot to death during an armed robbery.
Lewis’ family has called the latest turn of events in the case heartbreaking, 13 years after their loved one’s killing.
“This is a very, very sad day in the city of Chicago that our justice system has allowed this to happen,” Lewis’ sister LaShana Lewis said.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office released the following statement in regards to Villa’s conviction being overturned:
“After the sentencing of Alexander Villa for the 2011 murder of Officer Clifton Lewis, our office discovered evidence that had not been previously or timely provided to the defense. This information is potentially exculpatory, material, and relevant to a jury’s evaluation of the case, and therefore, we are compelled to agree to vacate this conviction and dismiss the charges. We acknowledge the pain and frustration this causes the family of Officer Lewis, who deserves to be remembered for his dedicated service to the Chicago Police Department and the City of Chicago rather than for procedural errors that have marred our pursuit of justice and accountability. While this is heartbreaking, prosecutors have the responsibility to not only find justice for the harmed but also uphold the constitutional rights of the accused. In this instance, we fell short. We are actively working to learn from the chain of events that has led us to this point so that we can make necessary improvements to our systems and ensure this does not happen again.”
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s office offered no comment when asked if the case would ever be reopened.
“As long as we’re here, we’re going to make sure that justice is served and his killers are brought forward, and they will do the time for killing him,” Lewis said.