MEDIA CONTACT: Pat Vaughan Tremmel at (847) 491-4892 or p-tremmel@northwestern.edu
Mary Jane Twohey (for broadcast media) at (847) 491-4889 or mjtwohey@northwestern.edu

December 16, 2002

Exonerated to Appeal to Illinois Gov. Ryan

CHICAGO --- On Monday, Dec. 16, the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law will shine a bright light on flaws in the capital punishment system with a "Dead Men Walking" relay from Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet, site of executions that have taken place in Illinois, to the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago (100 W. Randolph).

There a letter will be delivered to Gov. George H. Ryan urging him to commute all death sentences to life in prison without parole.

Gary Gauger, accompanied by Professor Lawrence C. Marshall, legal director, the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law, will begin the walk at Stateville at 4:30 a.m., and the letter will be passed from one exonerated person to the next at one-mile intervals along the 37-mile route. Around 4:30 p.m., Anthony Porter will conclude the walk at the Thompson Center, where he will be met by a representative of the governor, who will present the letter to Ryan at "The Exonerated," a special performance of the highly acclaimed play Monday evening. The play will feature Jill Clayburgh (as Sonia Jacobs), Richard Dreyfuss (as Kerry Max Cook), Mike Farrell (as Gary Gauger) and Danny Glover (as Delbert Tibbs).

Starting at Stateville, the walk will go north on Route 53. The walker will then go east on Route 7 over the DesPlaines River, and then proceed north along 171 (also known as Archer Avenue). The walk will proceed for approximately 27 miles on Archer Avenue through Lockport, Lemont, Willow Springs, Justice and Summit, into the city of Chicago by Midway Airport. At the intersection of Archer and California, the walk will proceed northbound on California, passing the Cook County Criminal Court and the Cook County Jail at 26th Street and California.

The path will continue northbound on California to Harrison, where it turns eastbound, passing Cook County Hospital. The walker will turn north at Dearborn, passing the federal courthouse, and turn west on Randolph, where the path will end in front of the Thompson Center at Clark and Randolph streets.

Relay walkers’ schedule:

Leg 1, 4:30 a.m., from Stateville Prison, Rte. 53, Romeoville; to Route 53 & Route 7, Romeoville; 1 mile; cumulative, 1 mile; walker, Gary Gauger; companion, Professor Lawrence Marshall, legal director, Center on Wrongful Convictions, Northwestern University School of Law.

Leg 2, 4:50 a.m., from Route 53 & Route 7, Romeoville; to Route 7 & Route 171, Lockport; 1 mile; cumulative, 2 miles; walker, Gary Gauger, companion, Rob Warden, executive director, Center on Wrongful Convictions, Northwestern University School of Law.

Leg 3, 5:10 a.m., from Route 7 & Rte 171, Lockport; to Great Baptist Church at 502 Rte. 171, Lockport; 1 mile; cumulative, 3 miles; walker Carl Lawson, companion Donald Connery.

Leg 4, 5:30 a.m., from Great Baptist Church at 502 Rte. 171, Lockport; to American Legion parking lot, 15052 Archer Ave., Lockport; 0.9 mile; cumulative 3.9 miles.

Leg 5, 5:50 a.m., from American Legion parking lot, 15052 Archer Ave., Lockport; to parking lot by bar at Archer Ave. & Smith, Lockport; 1.1 miles; cumulative 5 miles; Walker Dale Johnson; companion, John Lyons.

Leg 6, 6:10 a.m., from parking lot by bar at Archer Ave. & Smith, Lockport; to Homer Tree Service, 14000 Archer Ave, Lockport; 0.7 mile; cumulative 5.8 miles; walker, Dale Johnston, companion, Joyce Ruhaak.

Leg 7, 6:30 a.m., from Homer Tree Service, 14000 Archer Ave, Lockport; to Calvary Chapel, Archer Ave. & State St., Lemont; 1.2 miles; cumulative 7 miles; walker, Ronald Keine, companion, Bill Ruhaak.

Leg 8, 6:50 a.m., from Calvary Chapel, Archer Ave. & State St., Lemont; to 12919 Archer Ave., Lemont; 1 mile; cumulative 8 miles; walker, Ronald Keine; companion, Anna Aaronheim.

Leg 9, 7:10 a.m., from 12919 Archer Ave., Lemont; to Archer Ave. & Bailey’s Crossing, Lemont; 1 mile; cumulative 9 miles; walker Michael Graham; companion, George Brooks.

Leg 10, 7:30 a.m., from Archer Ave. & Bailey’s Crossing, Lemont; to Mount Vernon Cemetery, Archer Ave. & Parker Rd., Lemont; 1.1 miles; cumulative 10.1 miles; walker, Tom Kimball; companion, Garnet Fay.

Leg 11, 7:50 a.m., from Mount Vernon Cemetery, Archer Ave. & Parker Rd., Lemont; to Lemont Paving Co., 11550 Archer Ave., Lemont; 0.9 mile; cumulative 11 miles; walker Robert Hayes, companion, Locke Bowman.

Leg 12, 8:10 a.m., from Lemont Paving Co., 11550 Archer Ave., Lemont; to Sean Kaley Bar, 10900 Archer Ave., Lemont; 1.1 miles; cumulative 12.1 miles; walker, Robert Hayes; companion, Bill Ryan.

Leg 13, 8:30 a.m., from Sean Kaley, 10900 Archer Ave., Lemont; to St. James Catholic Church, 10600 Archer Ave., Lemont; 0.7 mile; cumulative 12.8 miles; walker, Brad Scott; companion, John Bagley

Leg 14, 8:50 a.m., from St. James Catholic Church, 10600 Archer Ave., Lemont; to entrance to Red Gate Woods Forest Preserve, Willow Springs; 1.3 miles; cumulative 14.1 miles; walker, Wilbert Lee; companion, Rose Bagley.

Leg 15, 9:10 a.m., from entrance to Red Gate Woods Forest Preserve, Willow Springs; to Archer & 95th Street, Willow Springs; 0.9 mile; cumulative 15 miles; walker, Freddie Pitts, companion Karen Daniels, Center on Wrongful Convictions.

Leg 16, 9:30 a.m., from Archer & 95th St., Willow Springs; to 8979 Archer (Tarlows’s Grove), Willow Springs; 1 mile; cumulative 16 miles; walker, Kirk Bloodsworth; companion, Barry Scheck.

Leg 17, 9:50 a.m., from 8979 Archer (Tarlows’s Grove), Willow Springs; to 8480 Archer (CIB Bank), Willow Springs; 1 mile; cumulative 17 miles; walker, Greg Wilhoit; companion, Chuck Hutchcraft.

Leg 18, 10:10 a.m., from 8480 Archer (CIB Bank), Willow Springs; to Willow Springs Village Hall, 8121 Archer, Willow Springs; 0.7 mile; cumulative 17.7 miles; walker, Ron Williamson; companion, Edwin Colfax.

Leg 19, 10:30 a.m., from Willow Springs Village Hall, 8121 Archer, Willow Springs; to Just Us Diner, Archer & 88th avenues, Justice; 1.1 miles; cumulative 18.8 miles; Chick Hoffman.

Leg 20, 10:50 a.m., from Just Us Diner, Archer & 88th avenues, Justice; to Arbors of Justice, Archer & Heather, Justice; 1 mile; cumulative 19.8 miles; walker, Kurtis Kyles; companion, Bernardine Dohrn.

Leg 21, 11:10 a.m., from Arbors of Justice, Archer & Heather, Justice; to park at Archer & 66th Street, Bedford Park; 1 mile; cumulative 20.8 miles; walker, Greg Wilhoit; companion, Steven Drizin, clinical professor, Children and Family Justice Center, Northwestern University School of Law.

Leg 22, 11:30 a.m., from park at Archer & 66th Street, Bedford Park; to Green Acres House of Pancakes, 5601 Archer, Summit; 1.2 miles; cumulative 22 miles; walker, Charles Fain; walker, Jane Raley.

Leg 23, 11:50 a.m., from Green Acres House of Pancakes, 5601 Archer, Summit; to Brown’s Chicken, 6859 Archer, Chicago; 1 mile; cumulative 23 miles; walker, Ronnie Burrell; companion, Jane Bohman.

Leg 24, 12:10 p.m., from Brown’s Chicken, 6859 Archer, Chicago; to Three Sons Restaurant, 6200 South Archer, Chicago; 1 mile; cumulative 24 miles; walker, Verneal Jimerson; companion, Roberto Ramirez.

Leg 25, 12:30 p.m., from Three Sons Restaurant, 6200 South Archer, Chicago; to Aldi’s Supermarket, 5775 Archer, Chicago; 1 mile; cumulative 25 miles; walker, Charles Smith; companion, Paul Schipel.

Leg 26, 12:50 p.m., from Aldi’s Supermarket, 5775 Archer, Chicago; to Bobak’s Restaurant, 5275 Archer, Chicago; 1 mile; cumulative 26 miles; walker, Gary Beeman; companion, Jeff Urdangen.

Leg 27, 1:10 p.m., from Bobak’s Restaurant, 5275 Archer, Chicago; to flower store at Archer & Hamline, Chicago; 1 mile; cumulative 27 miles; Jennifer Bishop.

Leg 28, 1:30 p.m., from flower store at Archer & Hamline, Chicago; to Walgreens, Archer & Kedzie, Chicago; 1 mile; cumulative 28 miles; walker, Juan Melendez; companion, Father Charles Dahm.

Leg 29, 1:50 p.m., from Walgreens, Archer & Kedzie, Chicago; to California & 38th, Chicago; 1 mile; cumulative 29 miles; walker, Darby Tillis.

Leg 30, 2:10 p.m., from California & 38th, Chicago; to California & 31st, Chicago; 1 mile; cumulative 30 miles; walker, Delbert Tibbs; companion, Father Demitri.

Leg 31, 2:30 p.m., from California & 31st, Chicago; to California and Cermak, Chicago; 1 mile; cumulative 31 miles; walker, Perry Cobb; companion, Jeanne Bishop.

Leg 32, 2:50 p.m., from California and Cermak, Chicago; to California and Roosevelt, Chicago; 1 mile; cumulative 32 miles; walker, Earl Washington; companion, Peter Neufeld.

Leg 33, 3:10 p.m., from California and Roosevelt, Chicago; to Harrison and Western, Chicago; 1 mile; cumulative 33 miles; walker, Ray Krone; companion, Jamie Alter.

Leg 34, 3:30 p.m., from Harrison and Western, Chicago; to Hyatt Hotel at Harrison and Ashland, Chicago; 1 mile; cumulative 34 miles; walker, Randall Padgett; companion, Andrea Lyon.

Leg 35, 3:50 p.m., from Hyatt Hotel at Harrison and Ashland, Chicago; to vacant lot at Harrison and Halsted, Chicago; 1 mile; cumulative 35 miles; walker, David Keaton; companion, Leonard Goodman.

Leg 36, 4:10 p.m., from vacant lot at Harrison and Halsted, Chicago; to Dearborn and Van Buren, Chicago; 1 mile; cumulative 36 miles; walker, Ronald Jones; companion, Maria Cunningham.

Leg 37, 4:25 p.m., from Dearborn and Van Buren, Chicago; to Thompson Center, Clark & Randolph, Chicago; 0.7 mile; cumulative 36.7 miles; walker, Anthony Porter; companion, Professor David Protess, the Northwestern University journalism professor who broke Porter’s case.

4:40 p.m., Arrive at Thompson Center.

Flaws in the capital punishment system have led to wrongful convictions and death sentences in 102 cases nationally, including 13 in Illinois.

The Center on Wrongful Convictions is an outgrowth of the National Conference on Wrongful Convictions and the Death Penalty convened at Northwestern School of Law in November 1998. Professor Lawrence Marshall is the legal director and Rob Warden is executive director of the center.

The 13 Illinois exonerations prompted Gov. Ryan to declare a moratorium on executions and appoint a blue-ribbon commission to study the problem and recommend reforms. The commission recommended 85 reform measures, which currently are being debated by the Illinois General Assembly. Before Gov. Ryan leaves office on Jan. 13, he will decide on clemency petitions brought in the cases of 160 men and women currently under death sentence in Illinois.