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- Home
- the Greg Clark Murder
- Diane Chavez Acquitted of all Charges on March 9, 2015!
- December 19, 2014, Richard Wanke files pro se supplement to PD conflict motion
- December 19, 2014 Case Transcript
- September 18, 2014 – Public Defender Frank Perri withdraws
- Defense Motion to Dismiss & Judge Collins case associations
- Richard’s Murder Indictment
- Richard’s Appeal Briefs Regarding 2006 Laptop Burglary Case
- Why Are There So Many Wrongful Convictions in IL?
- Known Unreliability of “Eyewitness” Testimony
- Greg Clark Murder Trial Coverage
- Past Case Media Coverage
- Richard’s FOIA Requests
- The Responsibility of the Media
- IDOC
- Resources
- Illinois At Fiscal Crossroads
- Help Needed
- Winnebago County Jail: History, Operation, and local Issues
Now on FaceBook -Talk: Suspect Convictions
Why this Blog Exists
The February 6, 2008, murder of Attorney Gregory Clark remains the highest-profile, murder case in Rockford, IL and Winnebago County, IL. Despite the April 2014 arrest and then March 2017 conviction by jury of Richard Wanke, the murder remains listed as unsolved on the Rockford Police Department website, a fact which one can construe as an admission by local authorities that they know that Richard Wanke, did not murder Greg Clark and that one person could not have committed this murder alone. We, friends, family, and supporters of Richard Wanke, know that he is innocence and was wrongly convicted of Attorney Greg Clark’s murder by the false scenario presented at trial by both police and State’s Attorney, Joseph Bruscato’s prosecutors. We ask you to read this blog and join us now in support of Richard Wanke.
The Big Lie
Over 8,000 pages and 200 individual Rockford police reports comprise the massive police investigation of attorney Greg Clark’s murder and show it to be flawed from the outset.
Richard Wanke and his landlady were both thoroughly investigated for years in ways police seldom have time to investigate any suspects. Their mail was intercepted; their email and social media accounts searched, their friends and associates were tracked down and interviewed, their phone records obtained, their finances examined, their physical property seized, searched, and tested. Last, the police intercepted and monitored the hundreds of phone conversations, video visitations, and all mail exchanged between them from 2008 to present. The results of this massive criminal investigation show nothing; no DNA, no fingerprints, no weapon, no gunpowder residue, no questionable contacts or associations or phone records, no incriminating conversations or admissions, no transactions: nothing, zilch….
What is the big lie? It is the State’s assertion that this case is simple: that it was Clark’s client, Richard Wanke, who murdered Greg Clark because he was upset over legal representation. The State has no forensic evidence or witnesses of Richard ever threatening, arguing, abusing, harassing, or stalking Clark, or even being violent towards anyone. And, we are supposed to believe that ordinary court filings filed in the course of a prior court case show that Richard was motivated to kill Clark.
Anyone who has been processed thru the criminal justice system knows to expect poor representation, and Richard was no exception. He did not get upset about it; he just worked to urge his attorneys to represent him properly. Attorney Greg Clark’s murder was a particularly brutal and cold-blooded execution; the sort of work professionals do; not amateurs. Attorney Clark represented plenty of emotional people in civil divorce cases as well as other criminal matters. He’d received threats before but not from Richard Wanke. There are plenty of people with proven violent histories who were his clients as well as the usual family and social connections for police to explore. The police did not investigate those possibilities. Instead, they immediately seized upon Richard Wanke as their suspect despite his lack of violent history or weapons use whatsoever and the complete absence of anything forensically or definitely connecting him to the Clark murder scene. His 2017 trial in Winnebago County was an elaborate farce as he was represented by attorneys who should have been barred from representing him and who sought 4 times to withdraw from his case. They clearly did not want to represent him and anyone who reads the trial transcripts and reviews the case evidence will see that they had plenty to work with to acquit him, but failed to use virtually any of it or truly challenge the State’s case. Now, Richard Wanke sits in the Menard Correctional Center in Southern IL, hoping for better representation on appeal. We urge you to correspond with him and help support him.
How the Police Investigation of the Greg Clark Murder Went Astray
The scenario on Wednesday, February 8, 2008, about 1:50 pm in the afternoon:The snow fall in Rockford, Illinois began the evening before and continued throughout the day. The snow accumulation was the heaviest experienced by the city in 10 years. The snowfall was so heavy that most businesses and all offices closed early or never opened, and for the first time in memory mail delivery did not even occur. At 1:50 pm, snow on the streets reached above car bumper level and visibility was poor.
What happened: News media report that in early afternoon, attorney Greg Clark was home at his house in a quiet neighborhood on the east side of Rockford when he was murdered and pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later.
News accounts and subsequent police action show that more than one perpetrator actively participated in Clark's murder. Media reports show the police immediately focused upon Richard Wanke because of what they thought of him and not because of any of the evidence found at the murder site.
The news reporter was told the next day that the police did not believe he murdered Clark, but just that he was somehow involved. Subsequent questioning of Richard's acquaintances showed the police asking questions indicating they sought information about at least one other person other than Richard.
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Donate to Richard’s Legal Defense Fund!
It seems only money talks when it comes to legal defense. Richard lost his income & possessions long ago and has gotten by so far working on his own with only volunteers help him now. The stakes are much higher now. If Richard Wanke is convicted he will face a multiple life term in prison. Richard will need a competent and compassionate attorney to try an unravel all the wrong which has been committed against him. Richard will also need your help and money to hire pro bono counsel or a private attorney to work for his release.
If you read this blog and either appreciate it's efforts or feel a great injustice had occurred in Richard's case, then please, reach in your pockets for a little change and throw in whatever you feel comfortable giving to Richard by pressing the donation button above. It will be used only for the legal attorneys he needs. Thank-you sincerely, and God Bless!
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About the Articles on this Blog:
RichardWanke.com is written and updated by community volunteers. It's mission: publicity and assistance for the legal defense of IDOC inmate, Richard Wanke. This blog also features articles on topics affecting IL, IDOC, and IDOC inmates. Article information is gleaned from a variety of public media accounts and from other internet sources and reflects what we believe to be accurate. Readers are invited to respond and submit their own experiences.Help Investigate This Story! Support Our Spot.us campaign! See Below!
Click here to link to Richard's campaign Spot.us is a non-profit project to pioneer "community funded reporting". Through Spot.us, the public can commission investigations with tax deductible donations for important and perhaps overlooked media stories. Read this article at link to more informationIDOC Early Release & Good Time Credits About to Change!
If you are reading any of our earlier posts concerning All IDOC Early Release Programs, MGT, or Good Time, please be aware that the IL legislature has now passed new legislation replacing MGT to address giving inmates good behavior "sentence credit" which could release them early. However, the terms of who is eligible to receive sentence credit is more restrictive. Sentence credits have the potential to begin to reduce prison overcrowding, but have so far not been used to do so. IL now has a new governor who has expressed more concern with prison issues. We will wait to see what changes Bruce Rauner will make to IDOC and policy. You can read more here: (here)Sentence credits are more restrictive in accordance with the suggestions contained in the Erickson Report. You can read the Erickson Report and IDOC's official plan for implementing MGT (here).
We also urge readers to check these online sites: (ILprisontalk.com), and the (John Howard Association), for other information
Important Email Addresses:
Send a letter with your thoughts or questions to Richard Wanke. (If you want a reply, you must include your name and a regular mailing address.) freerichardwanke@gmail.com, or snailmail (and it is slow):
Richard Wanke, 20605 Winnebago County Jail 650 W. State St. Rockford, IL. 61102
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Express your frustration about IDOC, prison issues, or anything else to your IL State Representative or IL State Senator! Use this link to email them directly!: (Rep or Senator here)
Send your thoughts to Congress!
Thanks to reader prisonrightsadvocate, for letting us know of the following weblinks which you can use to directly email our US Rep, Don Manzullo and State Senator, Dick Durbin
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Send an opinion letter to the Rockford Register Star. (To be printed it must be less than 200 words, with name, address, and daytime phone number.) Opinions@RRStar.com
Send an opinion letter to the Rock River Times. rrtimes@rworld.com
Have you experienced problems with the Winnebago County legal system? Please write a short story about your incident for us to post. You can choose to add your name, or not. freerichardwanke@gmail.com
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