Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Illinois Teen Speaks Out After Cops Bribed Him With McDonald's To Confess To Crime He Didn't Commit

Illinois Teen Speaks Out After Cops Bribed Him With McDonald's To Confess To Crime He Didn't Commit
Fox 32 Chicago/YouTube

The parents of a 15-year-old said their son, Martell Williams, was coerced into confessing to a crime he didn't commit by police officers who took him into custody.

Authorities also bribed the Illinois teen with McDonald's in order to get him to confess to the February 4 shooting of a local Dollar General store employee he was not aware of.


Williams was pulled out of class at Waukegan High School in Waukegan, Illinois by police.

According to WLS, Williams–a high school freshman basketball player–spent two nights behind bars in Waukegan's police department after he was wrongly accused.

You can watch a news report, here.

youtu.be

It was later confirmed Williams was at a basketball game in Lincolnshire, 20 miles away from the crime scene. 

The family's time-stamped photo of his location during the crime helped to exonerate him from the attempted murder and aggravated battery charges intended for someone else.

Williams was initially believed to be the hooded suspect seen in the surveillance photos that were released to the police department.

The suspect allegedly tried to steal from the Dollar General and shot the intervening store employee in the face.

"The officer said that multiple people came to him and said it was me," said Willaims.

His parents were never informed by the school's principal when their son was pulled from the classroom for interrogation.

Williams recalled the day he felt humiliated in front of his peers.

"The dean came down and got me and walked me to her office. And once I reached her office, there were two police officers."
"As soon as I got in, they didn't tell me nothing, say nothing to me. They just said, 'You're under arrest.'"






He also claimed he was offered McDonald's in exchange for a confession without telling him what crime he was being accused of.

Although the charges against him were dropped and the city said they were reviewing the case, Williams' family said that wasn't good enough.

So they hired a lawyer.

At a press conference, Williams' attorney, Kevin O'Connor, said:
 

"They didn't even tell him a shooting was involved. They just said, 'Hey, it wasn't your fault. Just tell us you were defending yourself. Just go ahead and tell us you were there and we will let you go home.'"

O'Connor demanded a public apology to clear Williams' name before the student went back to school.

"This is a continuing and ongoing problem," O'Connor added.

"The Department of Justice has been here, yet this is still going on, where there are false confessions brought in."


On Monday, the City of Waukegan released the following statement:

"The city is reviewing the case, but cannot make further public comment at this time."
"The city has been in contact with the juvenile's family and their attorney."

Meanwhile, the police have not specifically mentioned taking Williams into custody but said the investigation into the murder of the Dollar General employee was ongoing.

More from Trending

Country Singer Gavin Adcock went on a drunken rant over Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" success.
Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images; Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Country singer rants over Beyoncé album

Country singer Gavin Adcock became the title of his next album, “Own Worst Enemy,” after going on an unhinged rant about the legitimacy of Beyoncé's Grammy-winning and record-breaking Cowboy Carter in the country music genre.

Adcock, whose upcoming album is set for release next month, was filmed during a live performance last weekend, complaining that Beyoncé and her album are not “country music.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Dionne Warwick; Tiny Chef
Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images; @ToonHive/X

Dionne Warwick Is Ready To Go To War With Nickelodeon Over 'Tiny Chef' Cancellation

You know your campaign against a show's cancellation is achieving widespread attention when you get people like venerated singer Dionne Warwick advocating for you.

Nickelodeon's The Tiny Chef Show was recently cancelled, much to the dismay of its viewers and creators. It was also a genuinely surprising decision, since the show has won an Emmy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman relaxing in sunhat and sunglasses
Photo by Jordan Bauer on Unsplash

People Explain Which 'Small Luxuries' They Can't Live Without

Many of us have committed to being fairly financially frugal and not overspending on silly, unnecessary things.

That is to say, sometimes, it's fun to splurge on something one time to see what it's like to experience that small luxury.

Keep ReadingShow less
two women in emotional distress seated on couch
Ben White on Unsplash

People Who've Experienced Grief Share The Most Tone-Deaf Things They've Heard

Grief, loss, trauma are all part of life. But for most people, the emotions and reactions that go with them are difficult to witness.

So they rely on platitudes to fill any holes in conversation. That's rarely a good idea.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep ReadingShow less