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Northern Star

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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Man wrongfully convicted of 1957 murder appears in court to prove innocence

By Lindsey Salvatelli | March 13, 2017

SYCAMORE | Jack McCullough, the man wrongfully convicted of murder in the nation’s longest cold case, will take the stand during his certificate of innocence hearing next month.McCullough was tried and found guilty in 2012 for the 1957 murder of 7-year-old...

Jack McCullough released from jail

By Northern Star staff | April 15, 2016

Jack McCullough, 76, of Seattle, has been released from jail with no bond after being charged with the murder of Sycamore 7-year-old Maria Ridulph.On Sept. 14, 2012, McCullough, a retired security guard, was convicted in Ridulph's 1957 killing and...

McCullough did not kill Ridulph: Schmack

By Northern Star staff | March 28, 2016

Richard Schmack, DeKalb County state’s attorney, said Jack D. McCullough, 76, of Seattle, could not have abducted and killed 7-year-old Maria Ridulph in 1957, according to a DeKalb County State’s Attorney Office news release Friday.The state’s attorney’s...

On Sept. 14, 2012, Jack McCullough was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering 7-year-old Maria Ridulph in 1957.

Lifetime to air documentary of Ridulph murder

By Margaret Maka | November 11, 2014

Charles Ridulph isn’t sure how he’ll feel when a Lifetime documentary chronicling the 1957 kidnapping and murder of his younger sister, Sycamore girl Maria Ridulph, premieres today.The two-hour documentary premieres 7 p.m. on the Lifetime Movie Network....

Brother of murdered Sycamore girl shares his story on ‘Dr. Phil’

By Margaret Maka | October 22, 2014

Charles Ridulph, brother to the victim of the longest solved cold-case murder in the United States, appeared on “Dr. Phil” Wednesday to talk about the recent appeal of Jack McCullough, who was convicted of the murder.McCullough, formally known as...

Bob Tessier, the half-brother of Jack McCullough, speaks at a press conference following the conviction of McCullough for the 1957 kidnapping of Maria Ridulph, 7. Janet Tessier, Bob's sister and McCullough's half-sister, stands beside him. The Tessiers thanked law enforcement officials for solving the case.

McCullough appeals murder conviction

By Kelly Bauer | April 22, 2014

There wasn’t enough evidence to prove Jack McCullough’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt for the 1957 abduction and murder of 7-year-old Sycamore girl Maria Ridulph, according to a brief he filed Friday.The cold case — the United States’ longest...

CBS to air McCullough case

By Northern Star Staff | March 6, 2013

CBS will air an episode about Maria Ridulph and the Jack McCullough case in a new episode of “48 Hours” at 9 p.m. Saturday. Erin Moriarty will report in the episode, “Cold as Ice.” McCullough was found guilty in September of kidnapping and murdering...

Jack McCullough asks to be set free

By Northern Star Staff | October 2, 2012

Jack McCullough wrote a letter to the Daily Chronicle and the citizens of Sycamore asking to be set free. McCullough has been convicted of kidnapping and murdering Syacmore resident Maria Ridulph, 7, in 1957. He said he was astonished with the reaction...

Attorneys react to McCullough trial

By Alan Kozeluh | September 17, 2012

Attorneys in the Jack McCullough trial voiced their reactions to Friday’s guilty verdict. McCullough, formerly known as John Tessier, was convicted of kidnapping and murdering Maria Ridulph. Ridulph disappeared on Dec. 3, 1957. The case was reopened...

Some say ‘justice has been served’ at McCullough trial

By Alan Kozeluh | September 16, 2012

On Friday, Jack McCullough, 72, was found guilty of the 1957 kidnapping and murder of Maria Ridulph, 7. Ridulph was abducted from the corner of Center Cross Street and Archie Place on Dec. 3, 1957. In April 1958, Ridulph’s skeletal remains were found...

Bob Tessier, the half-brother of Jack McCullough, speaks at a press conference following the conviction of McCullough for the 1957 kidnapping of Maria Ridulph, 7. Janet Tessier, Bob's sister and McCullough's half-sister, stands beside him. The Tessiers thanked law enforcement officials for solving the case.

Tessiers at Conference

By Kelly Bauer | September 14, 2012

Bob Tessier, the half-brother of Jack McCullough, speaks at a press conference following the conviction of McCullough for the 1957 kidnapping of Maria Ridulph, 7. Janet Tessier, Bob's sister and McCullough's half-sister, stands beside him. The Tessiers...

Arpacz and Janet Tessier

By Kelly Bauer | September 14, 2012

Cpt. Tony Arpacz of the State Police and Janet Tessier, half-sister of Jack McCullough, answer questions from a media outlet following a post-verdict press conference. Tessier testified against McCullough during the trial, saying her mother, Eileen Tessier,...