Alexander Villa set for release after life sentence overturned due to alleged withheld evidence
CHICAGO – The final defendant in the 2011 murder of off-duty Chicago police officer Clifton Lewis is expected to be released after charges against him were dropped on Wednesday. Alexander Villa, who was previously sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the crime, has long maintained his innocence and recently appealed to have his conviction overturned.
Villa, currently held at the Lawrence Correctional Center in Sumner, Illinois, could be freed as early as Thursday following the decision. His release follows claims that key evidence, specifically phone records, was withheld during his trial—evidence that his defense argues would have cleared him of the crime.
Officer Lewis was working a second job as a security guard at a convenience store in the Austin neighborhood when he was fatally shot during a robbery in December 2011. Two other men, Edgardo Colon and Tyrone Clay, who were initially implicated in the crime, were released last year after charges against them were also dismissed.