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McCullough hearing approaches Man convicted of killing 7-year-old Ridulph to appear before county judge Jan. 14 By KATIE SMITH ksmith@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – Convicted child killer Jack McCullough will appear before a DeKalb County judge Jan. 14 in another attempt to prove his innocence in the 1957 murder of a Sycamore girl. A DeKalb County judge issued an order Dec. 17 requesting McCullough be transported from the Pontiac Correctional Center for his next court date. Judge William Brady will either
consider appointing an attorney to represent McCullough on his petition for post-conviction relief or make a decision based on information from McCullough and the State’s Attorney’s Office, DeKalb County State’s Attorney Richard Schmack said. “It will likely be a major factor in determining the direction in which the case goes,” Schmack said. McCullough was sentenced to life in prison in December 2012 for the kidnapping and murder of 7-year-old Maria
Ridulph, closing the oldest cold case to be solved in U.S. history. In September, DeKalb County Judge Robert Pilmer dismissed McCullough’s request for post-conviction relief, calling it “frivolous and Jack w i t h o u t m e r - McCullough it,” according to court documents. McCullough wrote the petition by hand from prison without help from an at-
torney. But the 76-year-old ex-cop filed a successive motion Dec. 11 in another attempt to make his case. Unlike the original petition for post-conviction relief, the successive motion can’t be Maria denied without Ridulph a hearing from the State’s Attorney’s Office, Schmack said. Because McCullough is rep-
resenting himself at this time, Brady thought it appropriate for the defendant to be present during what attorneys are calling a “case management conference,” Schmack said. DeKalb County Public Defender Tom McCulloch, who defended McCullough at trial, has continued to investigate the case and has remained in contact with McCullough throughout his incarceration. Pilmer questioned McCulloch’s investment in the case, however, because he had not
been appointed to represent McCullough since his 2012 conviction. “I became aware of his pro se post-conviction petition, and knew that there were items and facts that I was aware of and that he was not aware of due to his incarceration,” McCulloch said in a report to the court. “There are still facts that we are attempting to investigate and evaluate which bear directly on his innocence and the manner
See McCULLOUGH, page A5
Officials: Teen fled to Mexico with mom
KISHWAUKEE COLLEGE SAYS FAREWELL TO TOM CHOICE
‘Affluenza’ fugitive was investigated for parole violation By EMILY SCHMALL and ELIZABETH RIVERA The Associated Press
Photos by Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
ABOVE: Kishwaukee Community College President Tom Choice stands in front of the student center, which was an addition to the school in Malta in 2012 during Choice’s tenure. Choice has worked at the college for 14 years and will retire Thursday. BELOW: Choice talks about his tenure as president Nov. 24 in his office.
Kish president moving on Community college leader made impact beyond the school By RHONDA GILLESPIE rgillespie@shawmedia.com MALTA – Tom Choice will walk out of Kishwaukee College for the last time Thursday as president of the two-year school. He is retiring after working there for 14 years, the past eight at the helm. “I hope that people will realize that I cared a lot about this college and I tried to do my best,” Choice said. “I sincerely just love this college, and the people and the students.” The congenial Choice first arrived at the community college, located in Malta, in 2001 as the vice president of instruction. He brought with him the two years of academic affairs leadership he gained at Harper College in Palatine. In 2007, he was tapped for the
presidency after trustees decided to search internally to fill the post. In March, he announced his retirement, which is effective Thursday. Choice was offered a $178,228 salary, according to the Illinois Community College Board database. In the years he was president, Choice brought a number of academic, cosmetic and capital
improvements to the college, which has a student body of more than 9,000 and about 450 faculty and staff. The school serves residents living in DeKalb County and portions of Lee and Ogle counties. For fiscal 2016, the school has an annual budget of $23 million. Choice counts creation of the aviation, computer information and
office systems, as well as the honors program, among his academic accomplishments at the college. He also is credited with expanding the college’s dual credit program with local high schools. On the administrative and operational side, his laurels include increasing the number of full-time faculty, and he takes credit for helping the college secure an AA bond rating for the first time in its history. “We were able to get that bond rating because we were financially in such good shape,” Choice said. “But that’s because of the board’s long history of being very conservative and fiscally responsible.” Among capital improvements, he said facilities in the science and health departments have been upgraded, and parking now is on paved lots instead of the former lawn and tennis court parking. Choice said he rounded the local circuit spreading the word about the college and its offering of more
See CHOICE, page A5
FORT WORTH, Texas – A teen fugitive who’s known for using an “affluenza” defense and his mother tried to disguise themselves and disappear among the American tourists thronging a Mexican resort city for the holidays, but are now in custody and will be returned to the U.S. after a cellphone used to order pizza gave away their location, authorities said Tuesday. Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said 18-year-old Ethan Couch – who was on juvenile probation after killing four people in a drunken-driving wreck – and his mother had prepared to be gone awhile, even dyeing Couch’s blond hair black, before being detained Monday in the Pacific Coast city of Puerto Vallarta. “They had planned to disappear. They even had something that was almost akin to a going-away party before leaving town,” Anderson said. He would not give details about the event, including how many people attended. During the sentencing phase of Couch’s trial, a defense expert argued that his wealthy parents coddled him into a sense of irresponsibility – a condition the expert termed “affluenza.” The condition is not recognized as a medical diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association, and its invocation drew ridicule. Couch disappeared as authorities investigated whether he had violated the terms of his probation. Anderson said Couch and his mother, Tonya Couch, apparently crossed the border in her pickup and drove to Puerto Vallarta. It was not clear whether they had any accomplices. No immediate charges were planned for others who may have known about or assisted with the flight plan, Anderson
See COUCH, page A5
LOCAL NEWS
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LOCAL NEWS
WHERE IT’S AT
Snowstorm
A tasty toast
Alleged fraud
About 1,800 county residents experienced power outages / A3
Ring in the new year with this assortment of kebabs, spreads / B10
Owner of DeKalb’s Baymont Inn & Suites being investigated / A3
Advice ................................ B5 Classified........................B7-9 Comics ............................... B6 Local News.................... A3-4 Lottery................................ A2 Nation&World.............. A2, 6
Obituaries .........................A4 Opinion...............................A7 Puzzles ............................... B5 Sports..............................B1-4 State ...................................A4 Weather .............................A8