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Judge erases perjury conviction in 2007 murder of girl

Posted at 1:32 PM, Dec 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-08 07:51:07-05

A judge has thrown out the perjury conviction of a man who was repeatedly hounded by police during an investigation of a girl's killing in southwestern Michigan.

Ray McCann II served 20 months in jail and prison after feeling pressured to plead no contest. He denied any role in the death of 11-year-old Jodi Parrack in 2007 but was interviewed 20 times by police in St. Joseph County.

McCann's conviction was erased Thursday at the request of prosecutor John McDonough. He watched a key piece of evidence: security video from outside a Constantine creamery.

Police clearly had targeted McCann in Jodi's death. But another man, Daniel Furlong, confessed in 2015.

McCann's case was reopened after an investigation by law schools at the University of Michigan and Northwestern University. They also gave credit to WOOD-TV reporter Ken Kolker.