Two screams pierced the silent, unseasonably warm and windy night of October 13, 1997 in Lawrenceville, Illinois. The first, was that of 10 year old Joel Kirkpatrick as he desperately sought help against the person who had entered his room in the black of night and had attacked him with a knife. The second scream was that of his mother’s as she ran to her neighbors house and pounded on their door desperately seeking help. She begged for them to open up. “They’ve got Joel”, she bellowed into the closed door, “They took Joel.”

Once the shock of what had happened settled, and the years went on the question that lingered was whether or not the person that hurt Joel was the least likeliest suspect or the dangerous stranger that had rolled into town with that warm wind.

Trigger warning: violence against a child

Sources:
https://www.greatnorthinnocenceproject.org/news/bloodstain-pattern-analysis-another-subjective-science-convicting-innocent-people/
https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/2004/06/26/court-overturns-rea-convictio/118184118/
https://www.uis.edu/illinoisinnocenceproject/julie-rea
https://nationalpublicdata.com/people/r/julie-rea/tn/martin/pd06p1qslq5zi0nmlilw2zf05nyb8p17/
https://www.illinoistimes.com/news/who-killed-joel-11440266/
https://www.propublica.org/article/bloodstain-pattern-analysis-jury-wrongful-conviction-acquitted-exonerated
https://www.newspapers.com/image/84706396/?terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick
https://www.newspapers.com/image/84742918/?match=1&terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick
https://www.newspapers.com/image/84769767/?match=1&terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick
https://www.newspapers.com/image/84769827/?terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick
https://www.illinoistimes.com/news/who-killed-joel-11440266/
https://www.facebook.com/ABC2020/videos/julie-rea-recalls-what-happened-night-her-son-was-killed-2020-goodnight-mother/854470515223652/
https://wwws.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/wrongfulconvictions/documents/nulawreporterwparticle.pdf
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