Two Chicago Men Serving Life For Murder Released From Prison

Two men were sentenced to life in prison after committing a crime that resulted in the death of two people in 1986. According to WGN9, Arthur Almendarez and Joh Galvan were convicted that year, and have since been behind bars. The two have been in prison for 35 years and were released on Thursday night.

Friends and family ran to greet them as they walked out of the Cook County Jail. WGN9 mentioned that they were in their 20's when they were taken into custody for starting a fire in an apartment building located off of West 24th Street. During the entire trial they remained very confident in their innocence and did not waiver. They claimed that at the time, a police officer beat them until they ultimately gave a false confession to the court which lead to their arrest.

In 2020, the case was reopened when a judge looked back on the witnesses. The judge stated that the witnesses that stood before the court in 1986 were not credible. That decision was quickly overturned. An appeals court recently withdrew their guilty plea from 35 years ago and released them from all penalties. Almendarez and Galvan will appear before the court next week.