High court reinstates civil suit against NPD in Beaman murder case

Posted on February 7, 2019

By Howard Packowitz

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday gave Alan Beaman of Rockford another chance to pursue his civil lawsuit accusing the Town of Normal and three retired police detectives of maliciously prosecuting him for murdering his ex-girlfriend.

Beaman has been out of jail for almost a decade after the High Court threw out his conviction in criminal court for the 1993 stabbing and strangulation death of Illinois State University student Jennifer Lockmiller, who was from Decatur.

Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled in the civil case, reversing an appeals court decision in the town government’s favor.

Justices found the lower court failed to consider whether the conduct or actions of now-retired detectives Tim Freesmeyer, Dave Warner, and Frank Zayas caused prosecutors to proceed with the criminal case. Justices on Thursday sent the civil matter back to the appellate court.

Just before he left office four years ago, then-Gov. Pat Quinn pardoned Beaman “based upon innocence as if no conviction.”

You can find the link to the latest Illinois Supreme Court ruling in the Beaman case HERE.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]

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