Judge vacates double-murder conviction of a Chicago man; cites evidence supporting innocence

A judge has vacated the double-murder conviction of a Chicago man who has spent the last 34 years in prison for the shooting deaths of two 14-year-old boys. Fifty-two-year-old Francisco Benitez maintained his innocence in a motion for post-conviction relief, saying he had an alibi for the April 28, 1989, slayings of Prudencio Cruz and William Sanchez and that he was being framed by Chicago police detectives. Cook County Judge Sophia Atcherson made the ruling Tuesday, citing evidence supporting Benitez’s innocence presented during a hearing earlier this year. Benitez still faces murder charges because prosecutors haven’t dropped the case.