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Former daycare worker Melissa Calusinski is serving 31 years at Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln, Illinois for murdering 16-month-old Benjamin Kingan, an act she said in a videotaped interview from jail she didn't commit. Sixteen years in prison and the mother of five now is hoping that Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker grants her clemency.
She has recently gained renewed attention because of the appearance of the segment 48 Hours titled Unraveling the Case Against Melissa. It will appear on CBS this Monday, January 18, 2025.
That segment features some new evidence and new interviews that may add some clarity as to what was happening at the time of the conviction. Her case has highlighted wrongful convictions, especially confessions under duress.
Overview of the case
According to CBS News, the fatal accident happened on January 14, 2009, at Minee Subee Day Care in Lincolnshire, Illinois, where Melissa Calusinski was working. On that fateful day, Benjamin Kingan was discovered unconscious and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. An autopsy report showed a skull fracture and major internal bleeding.
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According to CBS News, the pathologist concluded that the injuries were inflicted by another person using strong force shortly before his death. In the police interrogations, Melissa Calusinski denied doing anything wrong more than 60 times but later confessed after nine hours of questioning without legal representation.
They argued that the pressure to confess was too much and that she thought this was the only way out of the situation.
In November 2011, prosecutors claimed that Calusinski had thrown Benjamin violently to the ground, which led to his fatal injuries. However, the defense team emphasized inconsistencies in the evidence, such as dark and unreadable X-rays provided to them before the trial.
They further argued that Benjamin had a history of injury from before Melissa Calusinski's act and that he had a tendency to throw himself back and hit his head. The jury still found her guilty.
Recent developments in Melissa Calusinski's case and clemency hearing
According to CBS News, there have been some recent important developments regarding the case of Melissa Calusinski. In December 2022, Eric Rinehart was elected the State Attorney for Lake County. He showed readiness to re-evaluate evidence from the time of her conviction.
Subsequently, several crucial pieces of evidence were sent out for forensic evaluation, including some X-rays considered unreadable in the past. Their conclusions had cast doubt upon whether the important evidence was doctored while the case was in court.
According to CBS News, Calusinski's clemency hearing happened in July 2024. At this hearing, her defense attorney, Kathleen Zellner, introduced new evidence that supposedly proved Calusinski had been wrongly convicted.
Experts testified on her mental state during her confession and diagnosed her to have borderline intellectual functioning and post-traumatic stress disorder, which were traces of a past trauma.
Despite this testimony, Rinehart's office opposes her clemency petition. According to CBS News, they argue that no new evidence exists to justify a change in her conviction status. The Prisoner Review Board has made a confidential recommendation regarding her petition to Governor Pritzker; however, there is currently no timeline for when he will make a decision.
Public Support and Future Prospects
The case of Calusinski has gained considerable public attention in the last few years. According to CBS News, her supporters believe she was wrongly convicted and have mounted campaigns for her release. Paul Calusinski, her father, has been particularly vocal regarding his daughter's innocence and continues to fight for justice on her behalf.
Friends and family have created social media platforms for posting updates on her case and garnering support.
The next episode of 48 Hours will uncover more facts surrounding Calusinski's case through interviews with some of the major people who were part of this case, including her family members and other experts who have reviewed the evidence against her. Such media attention might continue to bring in public support for her as she awaits the governor's decision on clemency.
Melissa Calusinski continues to sit behind bars, yet her battle for freedom rages on, while the discussion over wrongful convictions and coerced confessions is being held.
