A Prepare dinner County choose will enable a Mauritanian-born author and terrorism suspect to testify at a listening to that can decide whether or not a Chicago man imprisoned greater than three a long time for an notorious North Facet homicide will get a brand new trial.
Circuit Courtroom Choose Adrienne E. Davis Choose dominated at a quick listening to Thursday she would let Mohamedou Ould Slahi testify about his “enhanced interrogation” on the U.S. detention camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, beginning in 2003.
The abuse was allegedly overseen by Richard Zuley, on the time a U.S. Naval reservist on go away from his CPD detective job. Years earlier, Zuley allegedly tortured a confession out of Anthony Garrett that led to his conviction for 7-year-old Dantrell Davis’ 1992 deadly taking pictures within the Cabrini-Inexperienced public housing advanced.
“I’m grateful that Mr. Slahi goes to testify on behalf of my brother and all the opposite folks which have been by means of the identical factor with this man, Richard Zuley,” Garrett’s sister Twania Garrett Waddell stated. “I feel we’ll study that [Zuley] is a liar. He terrorized folks and beat them into confessions below his order.”
Garrett’s proceedings stem from a 2023 referral by the Illinois Torture and Reduction Fee that detailed an “overwhelming” historical past of “prolonged and constant” complaints alleging psychological and bodily torture involving Zuley, who was employed by CPD in 1970 and labored greater than three a long time for the division.
Zuley, a detective commander and unidentified cops interrogated Garrett for almost two days. Garrett ultimately signed a handwritten assertion admitting to Dantrell’s homicide.
In 1994, a jury convicted Garrett. A choose sentenced him to 100 years in jail. Garrett, now 66, is just not scheduled for launch till 2040, in accordance with the Illinois Division of Corrections.
The evidentiary listening to for Garrett is anticipated this fall.
Davis stated she would enable Slahi, who lives in Amsterdam, to testify by way of Zoom. Blagg stated he isn’t allowed in the USA.
Assistant State’s Legal professional William Meyer declined to touch upon Thursday’s ruling.
In hearings this spring, Meyer argued that Slahi’s expertise was irrelevant to Garrett’s case as a result of Zuley was working at Gitmo “in a time of warfare” and since Slahi had been “accused of aiding and abetting our enemies.”
Meyer additionally identified that Slahi’s abuse passed off greater than 10 years after Garrett’s homicide confession and that Garrett, not like Slahi, appeared to have suffered no bodily accidents.
To win Garrett a brand new trial, his legal professional Jennifer Blagg is attempting to point out a “sample and observe” of Zuley coercing confessions. In court docket filings, Blagg has listed a string of Chicago homicide circumstances between 1987 and 2003, when Slahi’s interrogation passed off, through which a suspect alleged coercion involving Zuley.
Judges in recent times have vacated a minimum of 4 homicide convictions involving Zuley. The exonerees embrace Lathierial Boyd, Lee Harris, Carl Reed and David Wright.
Slahi, 54, wrote a bestselling memoir about his Gitmo expertise that was made right into a 2021 movie drama nominated for 2 Golden Globe awards.
Zuley allegedly supervised interrogations of Slahi that included beatings, sensory deprivation, and threats to carry his mom to the camp, implying she could be raped. The abuse was detailed in a 2008 report by the U.S. Senate Armed Companies Committee.
Slahi, after 14 years at Guantánamo, was launched to his native Mauritania in 2016.
Zuley and his attorneys haven’t returned WBEZ messages in search of remark.
Chip Mitchell studies for WBEZ Chicago on policing, public security and public well being. Observe him at Bluesky and X. Contact him at cmitchell@wbez.org.
