When an off-duty police officer was murdered in Chicago, Alex Villa was arrested and sent to prison for ten years. The problem? He almost certainly didn’t do it

2026-03-18 - 10:40

The evidence against him and two fellow gang members didn’t stack up. But the police and prosecutors pressed on. How did the US justice system get it so wrong? Off Duty: The Crime – episode one On the evening of 29 December 2011, off‐duty Chicago police officer Clifton Lewis sat behind the counter of the M&M Quick Foods convenience store, working a second job as a security guard. He’d proposed to his girlfriend on Christmas Day and the extra income from M&M would help pay for the wedding. His fiance, Latrice Tucker, chafed at all his side jobs, which also included a security gig at Walmart. She had scheduled an appointment to tour a potential wedding venue that afternoon, but Lewis kissed her on the cheek and told her he was running late for work. They’d reschedule. Continue reading...