Amor Trial Date Set After Likely Coerced Confession

NAPERVILLE, IL - A new trial date has been set for William Amor, who spent nearly two decades behind bars for the 1995 arson murder of his mother-in-law. DuPage County Judge Liam Brennan set the date for Jan. 23, 2018, the Daily Herald reports.

The original charges were vacated earlier this year because of evidence from new fire science. Amor, now in his early 60s, was set free on a $100,000 bail in May of 2017. The Illinois Innocence Project believes Amor was wrongfully convicted. According to the IIP, the original investigation relied upon many of the now debunked myths of arson investigations. During a May hearing, three fire experts testified that Amor couldn’t have started a blaze by knocking a lit cigarette onto newspapers soaked in vodka. That was Amor’s original confession, which his lawyers believe had been coerced.

The Herald also reports that Judge Brennan ruled that Amor can be subject to consecutive sentencing on the original murder and arson charges. Amor was just over a year short of fulfilling his 20-year sentence.

Photo via Illinois Innocence Project, University of Illinois Springfield