New trial ordered for man convicted of Hadiya Pendleton murder – NBC Chicago

The man convicted of killing 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton in 2013 could return to court for a retrial after the Illinois Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision to overturn his conviction.

Hadiya’s Pendleton was fatally shot at Harsh Park days after performing at former President Barack Obama’s second inauguration.

This week, the man accused of shooting and killing the teen nearly 12 years ago was ordered a new trial.

“Mr. Ward is innocent and we hope to prove that at trial,” said his attorney, Stephen Richards. “We look forward to a retrial, return to circuit court and prepare for trial.”

Richards represents Michael Ward, now 30, who was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to 84 years in prison.

But the appeals court overturned his conviction in 2023, and on Thursday the decision was upheld by the state’s highest court.

One of the judges recused himself, leaving the other six divided.

“The Supreme Court divides three to three, which is very unusual, but it happens,” Richards said. “I’ve definitely seen these things before. I think the most important thing is that the court of appeal did the right thing. They backed off, even though it was a high-profile case.”

Pendleton’s killing sparked outrage and a call for action. Ward admitted to shooting Pendleton in Harsh Park, believing she and her friends were members of a rival gang.

The appeals court ruled that the trial judge should have thrown out Ward’s confession and that his rights were violated during interrogation when he told investigators three times that he did not want to talk.

“This is a case that should force everyone to re-examine the way police question suspects and the rights violations here, the false confessions and the feeding of details – all suggest these things should be done differently” , Richards said.

Ward’s videotaped confession was a key piece of evidence for the state’s case. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office released a statement regarding the state’s highest court’s denial of the appeal.

A spokesperson told NBC Chicago in a statement: “CCSAO supports the prosecution of this case and disagrees with the appeals court’s decision. We are reviewing all legal options and ultimately will focus on obtaining justice for Hadiya Pendleton, her friends who were hurt that day, and her family and loved ones who mourn her today .

“The state attorney’s office has two possible paths,” Richards said. “They could ask the Supreme Court to reconsider the decision, or they could ask the Supreme Court of the United States to take up the case, which is also unlikely in my opinion, but those are the possible steps that they could take.”

NBC Chicago reached out to Pendleton’s family for comment but did not receive a response.