Friday, December 28, 2012
Allen is free after serving 29 years of a 95-year prison sentence.
A University City man sentenced for a brutal murder back in 1982 is now officially free, according to a report from KMOX. A three-member state appeals court panel upheld a lower court’s decision that led to his release from prison last month. KMOX reported the following quote from attorneys working with the Innocence Project: “We’re thrilled the appeals court has acted quickly to dismiss the Attorney General’s meritless appeal,” said Barry Scheck, co-director of the Innocence Project. “We are relying on Attorney General Koster to keep his word and not further delay justice for Mr. Allen and his family by further appealing today’s decision.” George Allen, 56, was convicted of the 1982 rape and murder of 31-year-old Mary Bell in her LaSalle …
Monday, December 3, 2012
Check out the round up of stories related to crime in University City during the month of November.
Several break-ins and thefts for the University City Police Department to contend with in November. In case you missed them, these are the University City crime stories published in November 2012. Police Blotters
Saturday, November 10, 2012
The congressman asks Attorney General Chris Koster to "no longer stand in the way of justice," and to "allow this innocent man to return to his family."
- POLICE & FIRE
- Joe Scott
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Saturday, November 10, 2012
Congressman William “Lacy” Clay sent Chris Koster a letter expressing his extreme disappointment with the Attorney General’s appealing a decision that overturns George Allen’s murder conviction. Clay wrote: “I am deeply troubled by your decision to appeal Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green’s decision to void the convictions of George Allen. As you know, Mr. Allen is a mentally ill black man who was wrongfully convicted in 1982 and has spent the last thirty years incarcerated for crimes of which he is actually innocent. “I am astonished by your decision to appeal and to ask for a stay of Mr. Allen’s release.” Allen, of University City, was convicted in 1983 of the rape and murder of Mary Bell in the LaSalle neighborhood in St. Louis. …
Friday, November 9, 2012
Allen's attorneys say Allen has served 30 years in prison for a rape and murder he did not commit. "We believed he would be home with his family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now that's uncertain," an attorney told Patch.
- POLICE & FIRE
- Joe Scott
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Friday, November 9, 2012
After 30 years in prison, freedom must have seemed close for George Allen and his family. Allen, of University City, had his murder conviction overturned by a Cole County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Green on Friday. His attorneys made a very strong case, not only that he did not receive a fair trial due to withheld evidence, but that Allen is innocent. However, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office announced it will appeal the trial court’s decision in the George Allen case. One of Allen's attorneys, Daniel Harvath of the Bryan Cave law firm, said the appeal could mean Allen is in jail for several more months. "We were in a situation where we thought George would be home with his family for Thanksgiving and Christmas," Harvath said. "Now, …
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce announced Wednesday that she would not retry George Allen for the 1982 murder of a LaSalle Park woman.
University City resident George Allen, who was convicted of a 1982 rape and murder, will soon be freed after 30 years in jail. On Friday, Cole County Judge Daniel Green overturned capital murder, rape, sodomy and first degree burglary charges against Allen after determining evidence beneficial to him was withheld. Today St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce released a statement saying her office would not retry Allen for the crimes. "The goal of the Circuit Attorney’s Office is to ensure justice is sought under the laws of the State of Missouri,” said Joyce. “It’s important for citizens to know that it is very rare for a case to be granted habeas corpus, considering the thousands of cases that are appealed each year across the state …
