PASSAGE OF THE DAY:"In April, Brennan vacated Amor's 1997 murder conviction on charges he intentionally ignited the September 1995 fire after ruling that advances in fire science proved the description Amor gave in his original confession to police was impossible. Amor has been free on $100,000 bail since May 31."
STORY: "Trial begins in 1995 Naperville arson murder case," by reporter Justin Kmitch, published by The Daily Herald on January 24 2018.
GIST: "When it came to murdering his mother-in-law, prosecutors say arson was actually William Amor's second choice. He wanted to drug her, they say, but had difficulty figuring out the quantity necessary to ensure an overdose. So instead, prosecutors
allege Amor, 62, ignited the fire that killed Marianne Miceli on Sept.
10, 1995, as she remained trapped in her smoke-filled bedroom waiting
for help to arrive. Prosecutors say Amor
killed her in an attempt to collect insurance money so he and his then
18-year-old wife could move out of the government housing apartment they
shared with Miceli in Naperville. "His marriage was on the
rocks. He had no job. He had no money. He was stressed and he blamed
Marianne for the problems in his marriage," Assistant State's Attorney
Thomas Minser said in his opening argument Wednesday in Amor's new trial
on the murder charges. "Killing Marianne solved his problem. The
insurance money would be paid out to Tina and the defendant gets rid of
the anchor that was tearing apart his marriage." Amor's attorney, Lauren
Kaeseberg, said Amor had nothing to gain from any insurance payout and
instead was the victim of law enforcement's tunnel vision. "This case had an impact
on first responders and law enforcement and they wanted to help the
Miceli family find answers," Kaeseberg said. "From the moment they met
Bill Amor at the scene, they had their answer." Amor confessed in 1995
that he started the fire by leaving a smoldering cigarette on a
newspaper that had been soaked in vodka. His attorneys have maintained
the confession was coerced. Three fire science
experts testified last spring during Amor's new hearing that not only
would a cigarette not ignite a newspaper and vodka, but that lab-tested
samples found no ignitable liquids at the scene. Kaeseberg told Judge Liam Brennan that without the confession, there is no evidence. "Make them prove it was an arson. Make them prove it was a murder. They can't do it," she said. In April, Brennan
vacated Amor's 1997 murder conviction on charges he intentionally
ignited the September 1995 fire after ruling that advances in fire
science proved the description Amor gave in his original confession to
police was impossible. Amor has been free on $100,000 bail since May 31.Had his conviction not
been overturned, Amor would have been released from prison in March
after serving half his original sentence."
The entire story can be found at:
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/c
