A Chicago area woman who is serving a 31-year prison sentence for a murder she said she did not commit will share her story with a national audience this weekend on the news program "48 Hours."
Melissa Calusinski was convicted of killing 16-month-old Benjamin Kingan by slamming him to the ground at a Lincolnshire day care center in 2009. Calusinski, of Carpentersville, confessed to throwing the Deerfield toddler to the ground but maintained that police coerced the confession during a 10-hour interrogation. She was 25 when she was convicted in 2011.
Her lawyers appealed the ruling, arguing the evidence didn't prove her guilty of murder and that the jury should not have been allowed to hear the confession. During trial, her defense team also contended that Calusinski's low IQ played a role in her confession.
State appellate judges last year rejected the appeal.
The "48 Hours" segment "Blaming Melissa" will air Saturday on CBS. The show also will include interviews from Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim and Lake County Coroner Thomas Rudd, both of whom were elected after Calusinski's conviction. According to "48 Hours," Rudd was "shocked" following his review of the initial autopsy findings.
deldeib@tribpub.com
Twitter @deldeib
Her lawyers appealed the ruling, arguing the evidence didn't prove her guilty of murder and that the jury should not have been allowed to hear the confession. During trial, her defense team also contended that Calusinski's low IQ played a role in her confession.
State appellate judges last year rejected the appeal.
deldeib@tribpub.com
Twitter @deldeib
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