Parracks body was found there a short time later. While McCann was in prison, a man named Daniel Furlong attempted to abduct another young girl in nearby White Pigeon, Michigan. Weve pretty much mended back. McCanns exoneration marks the end of a nightmare that began on November 8, 2007, when 11-year-old Jodi Parrack was reported missing in the small town of Constantine, Michigan. Again, McCann refused to falsely confess to knowing Furlong. You can see it in their eyes. These discoveries made it clear that the Michigan State Police detective, who had accused McCann of lying, had testified falsely about the video to Prosecutor McDonough. Lonnie Palmer and MSP Lt. Shane Criger as defendants. One of the perjury counts stemmed from McCanns testimony that he had searched for Parrack at the Tumble Dam ruin. Brother of Jacqueline A Michigan State Police detective falsely told McCann they had evidence tying him to the murderincluding that McCanns DNA was on Parracks body and Parracks DNA was in McCanns truck. Drizin recruited his CWC colleagues Greg Swygert and Megan Crane, students Courtney Cronin and Caroline McMahon, David Moran, Director of the Michigan Innocence Clinic, to work on the case. Ill never get an apology, I dont think, he says. Theyve got their own opinions; theyre going to think what they think, he says. After spending 11 months in jail awaiting trial and facing a potential life sentence, McCann pled no contest to the count involving the Tumble Dam. Furlong, who lived in Constantine at the time of Parracks murder, eventually admitted killing Parrack eight years earlier, and a subsequent DNA test on Furlong matched DNA found on Parrack. Constantine police officers and detectives from a Michigan State Police task force questioned McCann nearly two dozen times over nearly five years after Parracks body was discovered. The conviction was thrown out in 2017 at the. 1603 Orrington Avenue Hundreds of people who were trapped, beaten, and wrongfully arrested by New York City police officers during a nonviolent 2020 racial justice protest in the Bronx will each receive $21,500 if a judge approves the terms of a settlement filed in federal court late Tuesday. Steven DrizinAttorney at Northwesterns Center on Wrongful Convictions, This was one of the worst cases of police tunnel vision Ive ever seen.. But the only criminal charge that resulted was for perjury. Constantine police officers and detectives from a Michigan State Police task force questioned McCann nearly two dozen times over nearly five years after Parracks body was discovered. The lawsuit alleges the defendants created a false probable cause document filled with information they knew was wrong in order to coerce a confession out of McCann. The system failed, and I saw it. After spending 11 months in jail awaiting trial and facing a potential life sentence, McCann pled no contest to the count involving the Tumble Dam, believing that he had no chance of being acquitted if there was a video that contradicted his recollection, especially in a community that was convinced he had murdered Jodi Parrack. The office of St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough, which won and then abandoned the perjury conviction, declined PEOPLEs request for comment. These discoveries made it clear that the Michigan State Police detective, who had accused McCann of lying, had testified falsely about the video to Prosecutor McDonough. Thiscase was the CWC's third partnership with the Michigan Innocence Clinic, all of which resulted in exonerations. While McCann was in prison, a man named Daniel Furlong attempted to abduct another young girl in nearby White Pigeon, Michigan. The other exonerated clients include Jamie Peterson (Kalkaska County) and Davontae Sanford (Wayne County). He became a person of interest after he was one of several people to suggest searching the local cemetery. Around 300 people were arrested, many of them brutally, on . He was sentenced to 20 months in prison in 2015. His wife divorced him. Police questioned him nearly two dozen times over five years. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The threat of a life sentence for what could simply be differing recollections is too strong a tool for prosecutors and could lead to further wrongful convictions. Visit Official Settlement Website The National Registry of Exonerations is a project of the Newkirk Center for Science & Society at University of California Irvine, the University of Michigan Law School and Michigan State University College of Law. For more background information about the case, see Ken Kolkers Making a Monster on WOODTV. The perjury charge in a murder investigation carried a potential life sentence, equal to the penalty for murder itself. Furlong later confessed, was charged and then sentenced as Parracks killer, reports MLive.com. In 2012, with the investigation going cold, the Michigan State Police detective told one of McCanns relatives that he wanted to see McCann locked up to increase the pressure on him toconfess. Beloved husband to Doris Fay. Report an error or add more information about this case. Ray McCann knew he had no connection to the 2007 strangulation murder of 11-year-old Jodi Parrack in the small village of Constantin, Michigan, where he was a reserve police officer. I lost a lot of friends.. Second, further investigation and a closer look at the video revealed that video camera could not have captured McCanns car because the cameras were not facing the direction of the path to the Tumble Dam. McCann said under oath that he had parked at the trailhead and was prepared to search for Parrack there when he got a call and went elsewhere. The detective then persuaded the county prosecutor to issue a subpoena to require McCann to testify under oath concerning his whereabouts at the time of Parracks disappearance. I wasnt going to take the chance of going to trial and being charged with life. Offered a deal that would lock him up for 20 months with credit for time already served, he accepted and pleaded no contest in March 2015. A closer look at the video footage also revealed that it could not have captured McCanns car because the cameras were not facing the direction of the path to the Tumble Dam. New York has agreed to pay at least $21,500 to each of the hundreds of demonstrators at a 2020 George Floyd protest in the Bronx who were "arrested, detained, and/or subjected to force by police . Who ever thought something like this could happen? Second, further investigation and a closer look at the video revealed that video camera could not have captured McCanns car because the cameras were not facing the direction of the path to the Tumble Dam. The Michigan State Police detective testified under oath that video footage from a surveillance camera on a nearby factory proved McCann was never there that night. The other exonerated clients include Jamie Peterson (Kalkaska County) and Davontae Sanford (Wayne County). On November 21, 2015, Fender and her children were evicted. He became a person of interest in the case after he was one of several people to suggest searching the local cemetery. Devoted father of Stephen McCann of Newton, Sharon Biddy and her husband Robert, Ronald McCann, Donna J. Taylor and her husband Greg all of Waltham. Again, McCann refused to falsely confess to knowing Furlong. Michigan Man Exonerated in 2007 Murder After 20 Months in Jail: 'I'll Never Get an Apology' Ray McCann's 2014 arrest was a cold-case shocker as he was charged with perjury in the then-unsolved. All of the charges stemmed from minor discrepancies between McCanns recall of the events surrounding Parracks disappearance five years earlier and the recollections of others. Loving grandfather of Shana and Carrie Subelsky. It shows that even somebody whos trusted to protect and serve can be a suspect and it can lead to a wrongful conviction, says one of his attorneys, Greg Swygert, a Northwestern law professor who works with the Center on Wrongful Convictions. McCann, a reserve police officer, agreed to help participate in the search. 2nd Floor I lost a lot, says McCann, a father of two and grandfather of two who works at an aluminum factory. The detectives were so desperate to solve this case and so blinded by their belief that McCann must have been involved, they ignored powerful evidence pointing to his innocence.. . on our list, Other Parracks body was found there a short time later. The detective also told lies about McCann to his family members and friends, even telling McCanns teenage son that McCann was a drug addict, in an apparent attempt to turn his family and friends against him and get McCann to confess. 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Loving grandfather of Shana and Carrie . We are grateful to John McDonough, said Gregory Swygert, the lead attorney from the Center on Wrongful Convictions team. While McCann was in prison, a man named Daniel Furlong attempted to abduct another young girl in nearby White Pigeon, Michigan. cwc@law.northwestern.edu. Raymond McCann II with attorney Gregory Swygert Christmas came two weeks early for Raymond McCann II when St. Joseph County, Michigan Circuit Court Judge Paul E. Stutesman signed an order today granting McCann's motion to vacate his 2012 perjury conviction. McCanns exoneration marks the end of a nightmare that began on November 8, 2007, when 11-year-old Jodi Parrack was reported missing in the small town of Constantine, Michigan. ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Mich. -- A man in St. Joseph County will be awarded approximately $40,000 for being wrongly convicted and imprisoned. I knew Id get home sooner. He currently is serving a sentence of 30 to 60 years in prison. In re the Marriage of RAYMOND C. and KATHLEEN D. McCANN. First, the students established that darkness made it impossible to tell whether McCanns car or any other specific cars were in the area near the Tumble Dam path. Bluhm Legal Clinic Northwestern Pritzker School of Law 375 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-3069 Phone: 312.503.8576. Raymond McCann charged with perjury in connection with murder of Jodi Parrack McCann, 46, had been deemed a 'person of interest' by police Jodi, 11, was murdered in Michigan in 2007 after. Parracks body was found there a short time later. At the same time, theres a lot of people who will stop me in the streets and say, Hey, Im sorry, I crucified you before, and now I see what really happened,' he says. The lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, names the estate of the late former Constantine Police Chief James Bedell, Constantine officer Marcus Donker, St. Joseph County Sheriffs Detective Sgt. He filed a lawsuit last week in federal court. Under interrogation, Furlong insisted he did not know McCann and told the authorities that when he learned that McCann had been arrested, he believed he was in the clear.. Couple Cleared of Wrongful Murder and Rape Convictions That Put Them Behind Bars for 27 Years, Kevin Strickland Exonerated After 43 Years in Prison Following Wrongful Conviction, Tx. While McCann was in prison, a man named Daniel Furlong attempted to abduct another young girl in nearby White Pigeon, Michigan. Raymond McCann served 20 months for perjury after taking a plea deal in what a federal lawsuit claims was a scheme to manufacture charges to pressure him into confessing to the 2007 murder of 11-year-old Jodi Parrack. If you're in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist . He was sentenced to 20 months in prison. October 8, 2008, age 64. The judgment incorporated a marital settlement agreement (MSA) which, in part, awarded the family residence to wife, and required husband to pay $2,300 per month in support, one half was designated as child support and the other half as spousal support. After spending 11 months in jail awaiting trial and facing a potential life sentence, McCann pleaded no contest to the count involving the Tumble Dam, believing he had no chance of acquittal if there was a video that contradicted his recollection, especially in a community convinced he had murdered Jodi Parrack. He died in 1976 in Balw, Australia at 23 years old. The big break in the case came as a result of brilliant work on the part of the Michigan Law students, said Swygert. the city's database of civilian complaints against the NYPD. The Michigan State Police detective testified under oath that video footage from a surveillance camera on a nearby factory proved McCann was never there that night. The Michigan State Police detective testified under oath that video footage from a surveillance camera on a nearby factory proved McCann wasnt there that night. Yet even after Furlongs confession, authorities still bore down on McCann in jail. McCANN-Raymond B. on March 9, 2012. I grew up in this town, and that was one of the places to look.. These discoveries made it clear that the Michigan State Police detective, who had accused McCann of lying, had testified falsely about the video to Prosecutor McDonough. Case marks third with Michigan Innocence Clinic, all result in exonerations, From left to right: Amanda Kenner, James Mestichelli, David Moran, Raymond McCann, Greg Swygert, Rebecca Wyss. In 2012, the Michigan State Police persuaded the county prosecutor to issue a subpoena to require McCann to testify under oath concerning his whereabouts at the time of Parracks disappearance. If she wasnt found there, wed just continue to look, he tells PEOPLE now. McCann now says he felt no choice but to serve his time, while maintaining his innocence as authorities continued to assume he was involved even as another man eventually confessed to the crime. McCann denied any role in the 2007 death of Parrack, but he was interviewed 20 times by state and local police in St. Joseph County. Following McCanns arrest, Furlong said, I thought I was in the clear, according to a videotape of his confession obtained by WOODTV. 53550 Generations Drive South Bend, IN 46635. McCann said under oath that he had parked at the trailhead and was prepared to search for Parrack there when he got a call and went elsewhere. Raymond Day, age 78, a resident of Baton Rouge, passed away on February 27, 2023. The Michigan students established that darkness made it impossible to tell whether McCanns car or any other specific cars were in the area near the Tumble Dam path. When I got out of prison, I went through a lot of depression wondering why this happened, he says. I put a bag over her head and killed her, Furlong said in court in November 2015, when he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Raymond G. McCann, a former New York City firefighter and president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians Nassau County Board, died on Dec. 11 following complications from a surgical procedure. Constantine A man who was repeatedly hounded by police during an investigation of a girls killing in southwestern Michigan has filed a lawsuit, two years after his wrongful conviction for perjury was thrown out. Police continued to pursue McCann aggressively for years even though DNA evidence found on the victim did not match McCann. In 2014, the prosecutor charged McCann with perjury during a murder investigation, which carries a life sentence. I have a lot of nightmares. He suggested they search the cemetery, and that's. The lawsuit alleges that McCann was the victim of a corrupt scheme by police. The detective then persuaded the county prosecutor to issue a subpoena to require McCann to testify under oath concerning his whereabouts at the time of Parracks disappearance. First, the students established that darkness made it impossible to tell whether McCanns car or any other specific cars were in the area near the Tumble Dam path. 312.503.8977 fax Second, further investigation and a closer look at the video revealed that video camera could not have captured McCanns car because the cameras were not facing the direction of the path to the Tumble Dam. Brother of the late A The murder of Jodi Parrack has been a subject of ongoing investigation and debate in Michigan since the 11-year-old was murdered in November of 2007. McCann was a reserve police officer that was charged with five counts of perjury, arising out of a 2007 murder case. But it was former Constantine reserve police officer, Raymond McCann, who repeatedly suggested . He was sentenced to 20 months in prison in 2015. For more recent information, visit In 2014, the prosecutor then charged McCann with perjury during a murder investigation, which carries a life sentence. McCanns victory working with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern Universitys Pritzker School of Law and the Michigan Innocence Clinic at the University of Michigan Law School clears a man whom authorities openly accused and jailed in the stated hope that he would crack and admit involvement. Tell He was 78. McCannbecame "person of interest" in case after helping to find victims body. Now, the former volunteer youth athletics coach hopes his reputation rebounds enough that he can again work with kids. On December 7, 2017, St. Joseph County, Michigan Circuit Court Judge Paul E. Stutesman signed an order today granting Raymond McCann IIs motion to vacate his 2015 perjury conviction. Born in Swedesboro he lived the. The judgment incorporated a marital settlement agreement (MSA) which, in part, awarded the family residence to wife, and required husband to pay $2,300 per month in support, one half was designated as child support and . JOSEPH COUNTY, Mich. -- A man in St. Joseph County will be awarded approximately $40,000 for being wrongly convicted and imprisoned. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. A man who was exonerated after spending nearly two years in prison for a murder he didnt commit is suing the officers who made the case against him. McCann understands that some people may still hold the allegation against him. Despite intense pressure, McCann insisted he was innocent. In a murder investigation, which carries a life sentence Chicago, IL 60611-3069:. The Tumble Dam ruin Making a Monster on WOODTV but it was Constantine... For being wrongly convicted and imprisoned the perjury counts stemmed from McCanns testimony that he had searched for Parrack the! The Marriage of RAYMOND C. and KATHLEEN D. 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