Man recants confession that freed death row inmate

AP thru St. Louis Today - St. Louis Post Dispatch ^ | 12/13/2002 | Maura Kelly

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

CHICAGO (AP) -- The man whose murder confession three years ago freed a death row inmate and sparked an unprecedented review of Illinois' death penalty cases has filed court papers claiming he was coaxed into pleading guilty by the promise of fame and fortune.

[IronJack]

One more reason that the death penalty should be applied swiftly and certainly where it is applied at all. It is too easy to cultivate pity for the condemned and to elevate them beyond their deeds. Their victims enjoy no such glorification. Decades after the fact, they are still dead.

[Amore]

Not at all uncommon for someone to come forward and "confess" years after someone else has been convicted. There's a reason such "confessions" usually don't change anything.

[chasio649]

Has there ever been a person that was very wealthy and had plenty of money for a slick lawyer to obscure the facts and raise doubt...but got fried anyway?

[Feiny]

Check Texas, Florida or Virginia....they fry alot of criminals.

[dighton]

Has there ever been a person that was very wealthy and had plenty of money for a slick lawyer to obscure the facts and raise doubt...but got fried anyway?

Thomas Capano -- rich, well-connected, and a lawyer himself -- has an excellent shot at it.