Appeals Court Rules Confession Extracted from Micheail Ward Was Inadmissible
A state appeals court has ordered a new trial for Micheail Ward, the man convicted in the shooting death of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, a Chicago honor student who was killed just days after performing at Barack Obama’s 2013 presidential inauguration.
Ward was sentenced to 84 years in prison in 2019 after being found guilty in connection with Pendleton’s death. However, the 1st District Appellate Court ruled on Friday that Ward’s confession, made during a 12-hour police interrogation, was inadmissible. The court found that detectives improperly extracted the confession after Ward had invoked his right to remain silent multiple times.
The confession was key to the prosecution’s case, as no physical evidence or weapon linked Ward to the crime. The court highlighted that one of the detectives involved in Ward’s interrogation, John Halloran, had previously secured confessions from other suspects who were later exonerated by DNA evidence.
With the confession ruled inadmissible, the prosecution’s case now hinges on witness testimony, including statements from Ward’s friends, who claimed Ward and his accomplice Kenneth Williams were involved in the shooting and made incriminating remarks afterward. It is unclear whether prosecutors will pursue a retrial, with a spokesperson for Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx stating that the matter is under review.
Pendleton was killed in January 2013 while walking home from school. She was shot in the back as she attempted to flee a gang-related shooting in North Kenwood, a Chicago neighborhood. Her death sparked national outrage and became a symbol of the city’s ongoing gun violence crisis.
Pendleton had performed at the inauguration as part of her school’s band, and her tragic death occurred just days later. Her story resonated deeply, drawing attention to Chicago’s issues with gun violence, and was further highlighted when Michelle Obama attended Pendleton’s funeral.
Ward’s co-defendant, Williams, was convicted of first-degree murder in 2021 and sentenced to 42 years in prison. His appeal is currently pending. Pendleton’s mother, Cleo Cowley-Pendleton, expressed her devastation at the appellate court’s ruling, feeling disappointed by the decision.
