Murder Conviction Overturned For Arlington Heights Man

A former Arlington Heights man had his murder conviction overturned Tuesday after the Illinois Appellate Court ruled there was no evidence connecting him with the 2013 fatal shooting of Rafael Orozco, 23, according to the Daily Herald. Jesus Sanchez, 23, has been serving a 45-year jail sentence stemming from the murder of Orozco, who was killed when he was out walking his dog at the Winetree Apartment complex in Wheeling, the report added.

According to prosecutors, Orozco was an innocent bystander who was shot in the back May 1, 2013, the report stated. They accused Sanchez, who was 18 at the time, of opening fire on a 15-year-old gang member, but instead, he accidentally hit Orozco, the report added.

But the appeals court sided with Sanchez's defense team, which argued that no one witnessed him shoot the gun and that the evidence did not support the statement Sanchez gave police, the report stated. Sanchez's lawyers said investigators only targeted their client because of earlier clashes with a gang rival the same day as the shooting, the report added.

Illinois 1st District Appeals Court Opinion by P. Scott Neville in People v. Sanchez »

According to records by the Illinois Department of Corrections on Wednesday, Sanchez was still being held at Pontiac Correction Center. Cook County public defender Julie Koehler, who represented Sanchez in 2014, told the Herald that Sanchez's lawyers will probably ask for his release on bond while prosecutors decide whether to appeal the decision to the Illinois Supreme Court.

More via the Daily Herald

Jesus Sanchez (Photo via Illinois Department of Corrections)