When an off-duty cop was murdered in Chicago, Alex Villa was arrested and kept behind bars for 10 years. The problem? The evidence against him didn’t seem to stack up

How did the US justice system get it so wrong?On the evening of 29 December 2011, off‑duty Chicago police officer Clifton Lewis sat behind the counter of the M&M Quick Foods convenience store, working a second job as a security guard. He’d proposed to his girlfriend on Christmas Day and the extra income from M&M would help pay for the wedding.His fiance, Latrice Tucker, chafed at all his side jobs, which also included a security gig at Walmart. She had scheduled an appointment to tour a potential wedding venue that afternoon, but Lewis kissed her on the cheek and told her he was running late for work. They’d reschedule.