This archive contains articles by Reader staff writer John Conroy, who has been covering police torture and related issues since 1990.
The Persistence of Andrew Wilson November 29, 2007
A cop killer who fought to expose torture in the Chicago Police Department has died, but his testimony from beyond the grave could still help bring down its perpetrators.
Is This a Gag? September 28, 2007
The city’s lawyers claim a gag order prevents them from discussing the strange deal they made to settle police torture lawsuits. There’s no order.
The Meter’s Still Running and the Mayor’s Still Mum July 6, 2007
Since 2003 the city has paid some $7 million in legal fees to fight five police torture lawsuits it probably can’t win. The latest turn in this saga involves a secret settlement agreement designed to protect Daley.
Twenty Questions May 11, 2007
Lawyers for police torture victims are trying to get Mayor Daley on the stand. We’ve got a few things to ask him too.
The Good Cop January 5, 2007
Detective Frank Laverty did the right thing—and paid for it for years.
Blind Justices? December 1, 2006
The prosecutors who sent police torture victims to prison are now the judges who keep them there.
Doe in the Headlights July 19, 2006
By trying so hard to keep his name out of the police torture report, Lawrence Hyman has made sure it’s a name we’ll always associate with police torture.
The Police Torture Scandal: A Who’s Who June 16, 2006
With the results of a four-year, multimillion dollar investigation due any day, here’s a guide by staff reporter John Conroy to the key figures in the scandal. Some of them may look familiar.
What Does John Doe Know? June 9, 2006
The guy blocking the special prosecutor’s report on Chicago police torture may be trying to protect more than his own name.
Tools of Torture February 4, 2005
Though he continues to deny it, Jon Burge tortured suspects while he was a Chicago police detective. Now his contemporaries from Vietnam reveal where he may have learned the tricks of his trade.
The Mysterious Third Device February 4, 2005
Torturer’s Logic May 14, 2004
All over the world, torturers have one thing in common: they think they’re doing the right thing.
Deaf to the Screams August 1, 2003
The next state’s attorney to investigate police torture in Chicago will be the first.
A Hell of a Deal October 12, 2001
His job is to prosecute criminals. But if the criminals are cops, state’s attorney Dick Devine doesn’t want to hear about it. Now, with Devine offering inmates their freedom if they’ll drop their claims of torture, some defense attorneys suggest appointing a prosecutor to go over his head.
What Price Freedom? March 2, 2001
Darrell Cannon has accepted a plea bargain that will spare him a lifetime in prison. But there’s a catch: the police officers he’s accused of torture won’t be forced to testify.
The Magic Can May 26, 2000
It grows. It shrinks. It leaps throught locked doors. If you believe that, you won’t mind if the state executes Madison Hobley.
Pure Torture December 3, 1999
Police lieutenant Raymond Patterson didn’t believe his son Aaron was a gangbanger. He was wrong. Then he didn’t believe that police officers had forced Aaron to confess to a double murder. He may have been wrong about that too.
Poison in the System June 25, 1999
Darrell Cannon and a parade of men claim they were tortured by detectives at Area Two. Why won’t the police department confront its demons?
Shot in the Dark November 6, 1998
In the confusion surrounding the bloody shoot-out that killed Nick Richard, one thing is perfectly clear—the police department doesn’t want to hear about it.
The Shocking Truth January 10, 1997
After insisting for years that Andrew Wilson was never tortured by police, why did the city then begin insisting that he was?
Town Without Pity January 12, 1996
Police torture: The courts know about it, the media know about it, and chances are you know about it. So why aren’t we doing anything about it?
House of Screams January 26, 1990
Torture by electroshock: Could it happen in a Chicago police station? Did it happen at Area 2?