World watch

Chicago

An Illinois death-row inmate has been released from prison thanks to the efforts of students of investigative journalism at Northwestern University. Anthony Porter had been in jail for 16 years for the murder of two Chicago teenagers and was to be executed.

Journalism professor David Protess and five students reinterviewed key witnesses in the case and, with the help of a private investigator, secured a videotaped confession from another man, Alstory Simon. In September 1997 Dennis Williams, a Chicago death-row inmate, was freed after 17 years thanks to University of Chicago journalism students.