Law & Order column: Former murder suspect files suit against Waukegan, police

A man who spent three decades imprisoned for the killing of his grandmother before his conviction was vacated filed a lawsuit this month against the city of Waukegan and nine former police officers.

In a federal lawsuit filed on Dec. 10, Robert Melock said police coerced a confession through intense interrogations, and that officers fabricated evidence that he admitted committing the crime to a detainee at the jail.

Melock was convicted of the January 1989 killing of his grandmother, Augustine. The victim, who was 72, was found murdered and sexually assaulted in her Waukegan residence in what appeared to be a home invasion.

Melock, who was 22 at the time, was detained on what the lawsuit said was “a hunch” by police that he was the perpetrator. Officers used coercive techniques and an exhaustive 17-hour interrogation to induce him into confessing, the suit alleges.

In addition, police fabricated reports to make their case, the suit says.

Melock was convicted at trial and sentenced to death. He won a new trial on appeal, but was convicted again and sentenced to 85 years in prison.

In 2023, he filed for relief, saying that a jail logbook proved that he was never in contact with the “jailhouse snitch” who claimed Melock admitted the crime. Late last year, his conviction was vacated and Lake County prosecutors dropped the case.

The suit also names a Chicago company that provides interrogation training for police departments and that worked in conjunction with Waukegan police on Melock’s case.

The company and some of the officers named in the suit were also involved in the wrongful convictions of Juan Rivera. He won a $20 million settlement in his case, alleging police fabricated evidence against him in the killing of an 11-year-old girl in 1992.

The city of Waukegan did not respond to a request seeking comment.

“Bob Melock suffered immeasurable damage and was nearly killed by the state, but at the same time the people of Waukegan suffered as well, because their police department cared more about manufacturing phony convictions than catching rapists and murderers,” Melock’s attorney, Steven Art, said.

Lewd photos

A former counselor at the Lake County juvenile detention facility has been charged with sending lewd photos to a teen she met at the facility.

Bayleigh Hoyt, 28, of Buffalo Grove, was charged with official misconduct and sending lewd material., authorities said.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it became aware that Hoyt was sending images to the 17-year-old boy, whom she met at the Depke Juvenile Detention Facility. After the youth was discharged, Hoyt sent him lewd texts and photos of herself, police said.

Hoyt resigned from her job at the jail before police became aware of the allegations, according to reports.

Hotel stabbing

A man was arrested after he tried to stab another man with a knife following an argument at a Libertyville hotel, police said.

Javier Moran, 54, a resident at the hotel in the 31200 block of North Route 45, was charged with aggravated battery following the Dec. 6 incident, according to the sheriff’s office.

Police said Moran and others were drinking in a room when Moran became argumentative and threatened one of the men.

He was asked to leave and did so, but returned with a knife and tried to stab one of the men. The victim suffered minor injuries before he and another man subdued Moran, according to police.

Holiday warning

December is the month for many holiday celebrations, so police are reminding motorists that officers will be out in force to crack down on impaired driving.

Waukegan police are among the many departments reminding motorists to “drive sober or get pulled over” between now and the end of the month.

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