The Naperville man accused of murdering his mother-in-law in 1995 has been found not guilty.
William Amor was recently in a Dupage county court where Judge Liam Brennan decided the prosecution did not prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
62-year-old Amor had been retried for the death of Marianne Miceli – who died in a fire in the condo she lived in with her daughter and Amor. Back in 1995, Amor had confessed to starting the fire and was convicted to 45 years in prison.
At that time, he claimed to have started the fire with a cigarette and vodka-soaked newspaper. But scientific evidence recently showed that method was not feasible, and his original conviction was vacated.
During the retrial, the defense argued that police coerced Amor’s confession after hours of interrogation.
Amor’s case is believed to be the first of its kind in Illinois for using new advancements in fire science to get evidence that lead to proof of innocence.
Naperville News 17’s Christine Lena reports.