SUMMARY

On December 29, 2011, off-duty Chicago police officer Clifton Lewis was fatally shot while working at M&M Quick Mart. Three men—Tyrone Clay, Edgardo Colon, and Alexander Villa—were accused of the murder, based primarily on coerced or false statements. Over the next decade, the Bonjean Law Group and co-counsel uncovered extensive misconduct by police and prosecutors, including the withholding of critical 2012 FBI cell tower analyses, overlooked alibi evidence, and coerced confessions.

Cell phone data and a repaired PlayStation confirmed that Clay and the others were nowhere near the store at the time of the shooting. In June 2023, Cook County prosecutors dismissed nearly 100 felony counts against Clay and Colon after it became clear the evidence could not support a conviction. Following the dismissals, Clay and Colon filed federal civil rights lawsuits against Chicago police officers, the prosecutors involved, and the City of Chicago.