On September 18, 1966, Valerie Percy was murdered in her parents’ home in Kenilworth, Illinois. The attack was brutal, her cause of death being a fractured skill and 14 stab wounds. She was also so badly beaten she was beyond recognition. The police ruled out burglary, as nothing was taken. They also determined her attacker knew her. The crime suggests personal investment, and the family dog didn’t bark or cause any other kind of alarm during the attack. Authorities investigated thousands of people and tracked leads across the United States with no success.No one has ever been accused of her murder.
John Q. Kelly, one of the esteemed attorneys at Ivey Barnum & O’Mara,was 13 at the time of Ms. Percy’s death. It was a case that had always puzzled him. This murder was the first recorded murder in Kenilworth,New York, and when the case was nearing its 50th anniversary, Kelly decided to investigate the case. However, all his requestsf or information were denied. In April 2016, Kelly filed a lawsuit alleging a violation of the Freedom of Information Act in Cook County Circuit Court.It was filed against various Illinois agencies for refusing to release records about the Percy murder. Mr. Kelly sued to release all records related to the 1966 investigation conducted by the Village of Kenilworth,the Illinois State Police, Cook County State’s Attorney’sOffice, the Chicago PD, and the Cook County medical examiner. Mr. Kellyfinds it odd that so little is known about such a nationally in famous case, and that he hadn’t received a single document 6 months after filing his request (unusual in a cold case).
In September of 2016, a Cook County Judge ordered the Kenilworth police chief to release a 12-page memorandum, which outlined thousands of pages of secret evidence from the case. Most of the memorandum was redacted,making it almost as useless as the forbidden records. The reason for the redaction and the reluctance to release more details is that allegedly the investigation is still active. Later in December, a judge finally ruled that the thousands of pages of police reports related to the case will remain under wraps while the crime remains active. According to the judge, the release of the documents would, “jeopardize the investigation. ”Mr. Kelly will likely appeal this decision.
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