A DeKalb County judge could decide in March whether convicted child murder Jack McCullough gets another chance to prove his innocence.
McCullough made a court appearance Thursday for a case management conference – meaning no evidence was taken there. That was his first court appearance since he was sent to prison in 2012 for the murder of 7-year-old Maria Ridulph of Sycamore almost 60 years ago.
The purpose of that court appearance was for the presiding judge to set a deadline for the DeKalb County State’s Attorney to file a response to McCullough’s petition, which was hand-written without the help of a lawyer. Among other things, the petition says McCullough’s girlfriend at the time has new information that could prove his innocence.
McCullough's 2012 murder conviction signified the end of the oldest cold case to be solved in the nation's history.
State’s Attorney Richard Schmack must respond to McCullough’s petition by the end of next month.
The case will reconvene March 29th to review Schmack’s response and for a possible ruling.
To view the court documents for the case obtained by the Daily Chronicle, click here.