Monday, January 22, 2018

William Amor; Illinois; Arson 'science'; False confession; His retrial in death of his mother-in-law in a 1995 Naperville fire is set to begin Wednesday (January 24)..."He was due to paroled in March 2018 but had successfully petitioned the court to re-examine his case in light of better understanding of how fires start. After an evidentiary hearing that included the testimony of fire experts, Judge Liam Brennan ruled in April that it was scientifically impossible for the fire to have started in the way Amor confessed. The judge said the original conviction strongly hinged on Amor’s confession, but the newer science undercut the confession, which the judge called the linchpin of the prosecution case. Brennan vacated Amor’s conviction in April, and he has been free on bond since last summer. Amor contends that he confessed after abusive and coercive questioning from police, who at one point in an interrogation served him with divorce papers his wife had just filed. His attorneys say all three people in the home were smokers and the fire started accidentally."


STORY: "Man to be retried in death of mother-in-law in 1995 Naperville fire," published by The Naperville Sun News on January 22, 2018.



SUB-HEADING: "William Amor will be retried this week in the 1995 death of his mother-in-law in a fire."


GIST: "A former Naperville resident who spent more than two decades in prison before his murder conviction was overturned is scheduled to be retried this week in the 1990s death of his mother-in-law in a fire. William Amor, 62, will be tried beginning Wednesday in a bench trial before the same judge who vacated Amor’s 1997 arson murder conviction last year. “I’m looking forward to having my day in court,” Amor said Thursday following a final pretrial hearing as he left the DuPage County courthouse with his attorneys from the Illinois Innocence Project. He was found guilty at trial for starting the September 1995 fire at the Naperville condominium where he lived with his wife and mother-in-law. Amor and his wife, Tina Miceli, had left to go to a movie, and a short time later, the mother-in-law, Marianne Miceli, reported a fire. By the time rescue personnel arrived, she was dead. Amor later confessed, telling police that he had started the blaze by leaving a lit cigarette on paper soaked with vodka before leaving. He was due to paroled in March 2018 but had successfully petitioned the court to re-examine his case in light of better understanding of how fires start. After an evidentiary hearing that included the testimony of fire experts, Judge Liam Brennan ruled in April that it was scientifically impossible for the fire to have started in the way Amor confessed. The judge said the original conviction strongly hinged on Amor’s confession, but the newer science undercut the confession, which the judge called the linchpin of the prosecution case. Brennan vacated Amor’s conviction in April, and he has been free on bond since last summer. Amor contends that he confessed after abusive and coercive questioning from police, who at one point in an interrogation served him with divorce papers his wife had just filed. His attorneys say all three people in the home were smokers and the fire started accidentally Prosecutors, though, contend that there is enough evidence to prove Amor set the fire intentionally and have pointed to a financial motive. Although he vacated the conviction, the judge has on two occasions declined to dismiss the case against Amor. And with Amor opting for a bench trial, Brennan will ultimately decide whether Amor is guilty. The state’s attorney’s office did not reply to a request seeking comment."

The entire story can be found  at:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/news/ct-met-naperville-arson-death-retrial-20180119-story.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog."