THE CRIME

June 20, 1999

At 3:18 AM Robert Mirabella was fatally shot at 7109 W Grand Ave Chicago, IL while hanging out with friends.

July 30, 1999

Forty days later, the police asked my mother to have me go to the 25th district police station for questioning. I was identified in a questionable line up, charged with, and subsequently found guilty of first degree murder.

No physical evidence

The suspects involved were described as male Hispanics. There were 4-5 perpetrators and the shooter was described to police by two eyewitnesses at the scene as having a “green winged dragon tattoo” on his left shoulder. I do not have a dragon tattoo. This can be verified at the IDOC website.

Witnesses Stated

Perpetrators came out of Nick’s Grill, a Mexican restaurant, located on the 7000 block of West Grand Ave. The perpetrators had an altercation with the victim Robert and his group of friends. One of the suspects fatally shot Robert in the chest.

Innocence

The actual murderer remains at large! None of the other suspects were sought by police! I have proclaimed my innocence from day one. I have no knowledge of this crime.

Contact

I am reaching out to the community for help. If anyone has any information relating to the actual suspects involved in this murder, please contact me.

THE LEGAL TEAM

Lauren Kaeseberg

Legal Director, Illinois Innocence Project

Lauren is the Legal Director of the Chicago office of the Illinois Innocence Project and represents clients in DNA and non-DNA actual innocence cases. Lauren received her B.A., cum laude, from DePaul University in Secondary Education and after teaching high school in Chicago, Lauren attended Cardozo School of Law in New York City where she was in the inaugural class of Public Service Scholars. In law school, Lauren participated in the Innocence Project clinic program for over two years as a clinic student, an intern and a Teaching Assistant. After graduating from law school, Lauren moved back to Chicago and began working as a private criminal defense attorney in Lake County, Illinois. She then joined the defense team of Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who she represented at both federal trials and on appeal. Lauren has extensive experience in trial level, post-conviction and appellate cases. Lauren is a frequent presenter on issues surrounding wrongful convictions.

Tara Thompson

Partner, Loevy & Loevy

Tara Thompson is a partner at the civil rights law firm Loevy & Loevy. Tara graduated with honors from the University of Chicago Law School in 2003. Following law school Tara worked as an associate in Mayer Brown’s Chicago office, where she represented clients in a variety of litigation matters, including a significant commitment to pro bono representation. She left Mayer Brown in 2006 to clerk for Judge Elaine Bucklo of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. After completing her clerkship, she joined Loevy & Loevy in 2007. She has been admitted to practice by the Illinois Supreme Court, numerous district courts throughout the United States, and the Sixth and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeals. In addition to her work with the firm, Tara is also a Clinical Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School, where she spends a significant amount of her practice co-teaching the Exoneration Project, a clinic on wrongful convictions in the Arthur Kane Center for Legal Education. Through the Exoneration Project Tara has represented several clients who have been exonerated and freed from prison for crimes they did not commit.

HOW TO HELP

If you have information about the crime...

Please contact private investigator Cindy Roman.
Mobile: 312-752-5966

All names and contact information will be kept confidential.

 

If you are a witness or know someone who is a witness, please fill out the affidavit form below and email Cindy.

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