The Bizarre Case of Marilyn Green and Jerry Hillard: A True Crime Unsolved Mystery

The Tragic Night at Washington Park

• 💔 On August 14, 1982, 18-year-old Jerry Hillard and his 19-year-old fiancée Marilyn Green entered the closed Washington Park pool in Chicago to cool off on a hot summer night.
• 💥 Gunshots erupted shortly after 1:00 a.m., with witnesses reporting a gunman demanding money before firing shots.
• 🏃‍♀️ Marilyn Green, despite being shot, managed to run out of the park and alert responding officers, but later died from her wounds.
• 🕊️ Jerry Hillard was also shot and died several hours later at the hospital.

Initial Investigation and Anthony Porter's Conviction

• 🔍 Eyewitnesses, including Henry Williams and William Taylor, identified Anthony Porter as the shooter.
• 🚓 Police arrested Porter, who had a prior criminal record, and despite the lack of a murder weapon or physical evidence, a jury found him guilty in 1983.
• ⚖️ Porter was sentenced to death, but his defense team argued for a new trial due to a juror's connection to Marilyn Green's mother.

The Innocence Project and Alstory Simon's Confession

• 💡 Years later, community groups and anti-death penalty activists questioned Porter's conviction, leading to the involvement of the Northwestern University Innocence Project.
• 📝 The Innocence Project focused on Alstory Simon, with his ex-wife and her nephew claiming he confessed to the murders.
• 🤝 Simon, who was in prison with Anthony Porter, eventually confessed, stating he shot Hillard and Green over a drug deal gone bad, and was subsequently released from death row.

Recantations and Wrongful Conviction Allegations

• 🔄 Alstory Simon later recanted his confession, claiming he was coerced by the Innocence Project and that his ex-wife falsely accused him due to personal reasons.
• 🗣️ Both key witnesses against Simon, Inz Jackson and Walter Jackson, also recanted their statements, alleging coercion and promises of money or assistance.
• 🏛️ An investigation by the Cook County State's Attorney's office found the Innocence Project's tactics to be coercive and unacceptable, leading to the vacating of Simon's charges in 2014.

Lingering Questions and Legal Aftermath

• ❓ As of today, the murders of Marilyn Green and Jerry Hillard remain officially unsolved, with differing opinions on Anthony Porter's guilt.
• ⚖️ Anthony Porter sued the city of Chicago for wrongful conviction but lost, with the jury finding he committed the murders.
• 💰 Alstory Simon received an undisclosed settlement after suing Northwestern's Innocence Project for deception and coercion leading to his false confession and 15 years in prison.
• 😔 The case highlights the complexities of the justice system, the impact of wrongful convictions, and the ethical considerations surrounding investigations.