When an off-duty police officer was murdered in Chicago, Alex Villa was arrested and sent to prison for 10 years. The problem? He almost certainly didn’t do it

The evidence against him and two fellow gang members didn’t stack up. But the police and prosecutors pressed on. How did the US justice system get it so wrong?

By Silent Warden · March 18, 2026 · 1 min read

When an off-duty police officer was murdered in Chicago, Alex Villa was arrested and sent to prison for 10 years. The problem? He almost certainly didn’t do it

Source: the Guardian

The evidence against him and two fellow gang members didn’t stack up. But the police and prosecutors pressed on. How did the US justice system get it so wrong?