ROCK ISLAND COUNTY, Ill. — The Rock Island County State's Attorney vacated the 60-year prison sentence of a man wrongfully convicted for murder in 2008 after several documents proving his innocence were discovered.
Nathaniel Onsrud, 33, walked free from Menard Correctional Center in Chester, Illinois Tuesday around 1:30 p.m. after wrongfully serving 13 years in prison for the 2007 death of his 4-month-old son, a statement from the Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) said.
Rock Island County State’s Attorney Dora Villarreal and IIP found several documents missing from Onsrud's case file. The State said the prosecutor who handled the case did not disclose several documents to the defense that provided evidence Onsrud was innocent. This prosecutor is no longer with the State's Attorney's Office, Villareal said, and all other cases they handled will be reviewed.
While the Onsrud case was ongoing, Jeff Terronez was the Rock Island State's Attorney. He was elected to the position in November 2004 and resigned in 2011 after pleading guilty to providing a minor with alcohol.
Onsrud's son, Dax, was born 10 weeks premature and had "signficant medical complications," IIP's statement said. In May 2007, Dax became unresponsive in Onsrud's care and was later declared dead at a nearby hospital.
"Initial medical examinations did not reveal foul play and the forensic pathologist brought in to consult on the case was reluctant to determine the death was a homicide," the statement said.
Sharon Anderson retired as the Rock Island County Coroner in November 2008 and was replaced by then-Deputy Coroner Brian Gustafson. News 8 has reached out to Gustafson for comment.
"Onsrud was subjected to two interviews and finally, after continual questioning, made some ambiguous statements that the investigators determined was a 'confession.' Based in large part on this 'confession,' Onsrud’s defense attorney at the time encouraged him to plead guilty."
Onsrud tried to withdraw his guilty plea but was denied and sentenced to 60 years in prison by now-retired Judge "Casey" Stengel, Villarreal said in a statement.
"This case was clearly a miscarriage of justice that we could not let go ignored," Villareal said in the statement.
"At a time when our community is seeking transparency and justice, we stand by our commitment to maintain the highest ethical duties required of our profession and will not allow any violation of a defendant's rights."
Onsrud has a court date in September 2020 to determine if his charges will be dismissed.