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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 27, 2004
Five Members of Cook County State's Attorney's Office
To Share Award From Illinois State Bar Association
Five members of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office will share the 2004 Law Enforcement Award given by the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA). Plaques will be presented by ISBA President Terrence Lavin during a ceremony at the Cook County Criminal Courts Building, 26 50 S. California, Chicago, 12th floor library, on Thursday, May 27, at 12 noon.
Investigators John Duffy, Brian Killacky (both retired), and Curtis Conley and Fernando Cervantes will be honored for their work in solving murder cases, most notably the two men charged with the murders of seven people in a Brown's Chicken restaurant in 1993. The case had gone unsolved for many years.
In his nomination letter, State's Attorney Richard A. Devine said that many people had given up on ever solving the case. The four worked tirelessly, he said, giving up personal time with their families, but the work paid off with the eventual arrests of the defendants.
The four investigators also worked together on two serial murder cases, and they have often risked their lives, said Devine, going undercover to obtain evidence against murder suspects while wearing court-authorized wires. More than 40 murders have been solved by the team since the formation a few years ago of the State's Attorney's "Cold Case Murder Squad."
An award will also be presented to Betty L. Coleman, an investigator in the State's Attorney's Domestic Violence Section. According to Devine, her work has extended well beyond her formal duties of evidence-gathering and working with victims and witnesses. She has been certified as a domestic violence advocate and is a frequent speaker on violence prevention before community groups. She also learned sign language to help in assisting hearing-impaired victims.
The Law Enforcement Award was created to recognize sworn law enforcement officers for conduct that promotes justice and to distinguish those individuals whose service to the public brings honor and respect to the entire criminal justice system. The award is given sparingly to recognize those who truly excel in the field of law enforcement.
The 30,000-member Illinois State Bar Association, with offices in Springfield and Chicago, provides professional services to Illinois lawyers, and education and services to the public.