Rolando Cruz was given the death penalty for the 1983 murder of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico in DuPage County. It took more than a decade before he was exonerated. Cruz will be the honored guest Monday at the Governor's Mansion in Springfield where he will formally thank those who set him free.
The Downstate Illinois Innocence Project at the University of Illinois Springfield is hosting an awards reception honoring those who helped free Cruz and others.
WUIS public radio's Jenna Dooley spoke with Cruz as he prepares to head back to Illinois in a report that aired on May 22, 2010.
Listen to the report online:
PC Audio | Mac Audio
