Antonio Porter, a 30-year-old African American man from Chicago, died on December 12, 2019 while serving a 71-year prison sentence. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office determined he died from an anoxic brain injury likely caused by opioid toxicity, and his death was classified as an accidental overdose.

Porter had been convicted in 2002 of the murder of Laymond Harrison. His conviction was contested: multiple witnesses later recanted and alleged they had been pressured by authorities, there was no physical evidence linking Porter to the scene, and later DNA testing on items from the crime scene excluded Porter as a contributor. Despite these developments, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office declined to reopen the case and his conviction remained in place.

Porter’s death renewed attention to allegations of coerced testimony, police misconduct, and the difficulties of overturning convictions. If anyone knew Antonio Porter or has information that could shed light on the original investigation, please share what is known.