Romeoville Murder Conviction Overturned

Jennifer L. DelPrete, age 45, was convicted of 14 month-old Isabella Zielinski’s death in 2005 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. On December 27, 2002 DelPrete was working at a home-based daycare center in Romeoville, IL when Isabella stopped breathing. Experts said Isabella suffered from brain injuries, but even after her conviction DelPrete insisted she did not injure the child and continued to fight for her freedom. After hearings in 2013 U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly ruled DelPrete’s conviction was a “result of unreliable scientific evidence” and said that “no reasonable juror would have found her guilty of murder beyond a reasonable doubt.” DelPrete has finally been released from prison.