Man who Spent over 20 Years in Prison Exonerated

 Posted on August 17, 2013 in Violent Crime

Over 25 years ago, James Kluppelberg was convicted of setting a deadly fire in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. The home that was burnt contained a woman and her five children. Elva Lupercio, 28, and her children who ranged between 3 and 10 years old, died in their home on the 4400 block of South Hermitage Avenue. After reviewing the scene, investigators determined that the fire was an accident.

Four years after the incident, Kluppelberg was identified as the perpetrator by a man who was arrested for burglary. They booked Kluppelberg and, shortly after, he confessed to the crime. Sentenced to life in prison, he maintained that he was innocent of all wrongdoing.

Kluppelberg was exonerated in 2012 of this crime due to advances in fire sciences. It was also revealed that his confession of guilt was coerced by officers who had beaten Kluppelberg so badly that he started to urinate blood. The man who turned him in was found to be lying in order to receive leniency for his burglary conviction. The police department also withheld information about a drunk woman who started another fire nearby the

Although Kluppelburg was granted his release in May, he struggled to regain his old life. It was very difficult to find a job with six murder convictions on his record. Kluppelburg has applied to over 400 jobs and the only one that responded to give him an interview, didn’t give him the job because of his record. He is forced to live with the support of his son and daughter-in-law in northwest Indiana.

For 14 months, Kluppelburg struggled to keep it together. Luckily he was able to secure a certificate of innocence by proving that he was falsely accused. He will also be eligible to receive nearly $200,000 in compensation for the years he was incarcerated. Having a record makes it difficult to live the life you would want but you may be able to get it sealed or expunged. Seek the assistance of an experienced expungement attorney in Rolling Meadows today to see if your record can be erased.