Peoria Standard

On March 27, 2024, United States Federal District Court Judge Sara Darrow dismissed a 2018 civil rights lawsuit against the City of Peoria, Peoria County, and several former police officers and prosecutors. The suit claimed that Cleve Heidelberg was wrongfully convicted of the May 1970 murder of Peoria County Sergeant Ray Espinoza during an attempted robbery at the former Bellevue drive-in.

Heidelberg's car, which was used in the murder, led city and county law enforcement on a high-speed chase that ended in a crash in Peoria at the intersection of Blaine and Butler. The driver fled the crash on foot after which police found Heidelberg hiding on a porch near the site of the crash. Heidelberg was convicted of the murder later that year when the jury rejected his claim that another man had used his car to commit the murder.

In 2015, a Peoria County judge granted Heidelberg a new trial after a man named Matt Clark testified that his brother, James, had once claimed responsibility for the murder. The County appealed that decision and intended to retry Heidelberg for the murder, but Heidelberg passed away in the interim. His heirs filed the civil suit which sought over 100 million dollars in damages from County and City taxpayers.

In dismissing the entire lawsuit, Judge Darrow expressed skepticism about the allegations that the police fabricated evidence that led to Heidelberg’s conviction and found that all the claims were barred by the dismissal of a lawsuit Heidelberg filed raising virtually the same claims in the 1970s. Heidelberg’s heirs still have the right to appeal, but County and City officials expressed confidence that Judge Darrow’s decision would withstand any further legal challenges.

Peoria County State’s Attorney Jodi Hoos stated, “the County has always had full confidence that the right person was convicted of Sgt. Espinoza’s tragic murder. This will hopefully provide Sgt. Espinoza’s family some much deserved and long-awaited closure.” Peoria City Attorney Chrissie Kaputska echoed the sentiment, expressing “gratitude that Judge Darrow devoted the substantial time and resources necessary to carefully consider both sides’ submissions to ensure that the correct decision was reached, and that justice was well-served.”