Marilyn Mulero, the first woman in Illinois exonerated after being sent to death row, calls on the city to stop defending alleged bad cops

A day after filing a federal lawsuit against the city of Chicago and former detectives, Marilyn Mulero, the first and only woman in Illinois exonerated after being sent to death row, called on the city to stop defending and paying the pensions of former police officers whose alleged misconduct has led to scores of wrongful convictions.

As first reported by the Tribune, Mulero filed the complaint on Monday against the city of Chicago and former detectives Guevara and Ernest Halvorsen, accusing the Chicago Police Department of fostering an environment in which the detectives, in framing her for murder, were allowed to fabricate evidence, coerce a false confession through psychological torture, manipulate lineups and violate her civil rights in spite of her innocence.

She’s among dozens who have accused Guevara of fabricating evidence to frame them for crimes they did not commit throughout his career with the Chicago Police Department.

Read more of Madeline Buckley's reporting on Marilyn and her lawsuit in the Chicago Tribune