Summary: 7-year-old Maria Ridulph in Sycamore, Illinois -- the coldest murder case ever tried -- to the unsolved case files. "Based on the changes in the law and the consideration of the additional evidence now available to this court that may not have been available to the trier of fact ... Mr. McCullough's petition is granted," Brady said in issuing his ruling. When McCullough was found guilty in 2012, spectators who filled the courtroom raised a boisterous cheer. But just a year ago, Brady overturned the conviction and freed McCullough after new evidence surfaced supporting his alibi. At the time, Brady left the door open for a new prosecutor to refile the charges. Wednesday's ruling firmly shuts that door -- and makes it easier for McCullough to seek compensation for his false conviction and five years behind bars. "I'm innocent and I didn't want there to be any doubt," McCullough said, explaining why he asked the court to declare him innocent. "What was done to me was criminal. They knew I was innocent and they put me in prison anyway."
