In 2001, Bill started the Illinois Innocence Project at the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS). His investigation of wrongful conviction cases began with his work in the Nicarico case in 1988 that lead to the exoneration of Rolando Cruz and Alejandro Hernandez, who had been sentenced to die for a murder committed by serial killer, Brian Dugan. As a defense investigator, Bill worked with Ed Cisowski, a zone commander for the Illinois State Police and developed tire track evidence that linked Dugan to the murder of Jeanine Nicarico. His investigation was featured in the true crime book Victims of Justice, by Thomas Frisbie and Randy Garrett, Avon Books, New York, copyright 1998.