Allegations of manipulated evidence fuel day care worker's clemency push

Main Idea: Melissa Calusinski is seeking clemency from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker after spending 16 years in prison for a toddler’s death, which she says was based on a false confession and flawed evidence.

Key Points:

• Calusinski has long said she did not kill Benjamin Kingan and is asking the governor and prisoner review board to clear her and commute her sentence.
• The case began in 2009 after Benjamin died at a day care where Calusinski worked, and police said she confessed after a long interrogation.
• Her defense says the confession was coerced and that key medical evidence was mishandled or misread, including signs that Benjamin may have had an older head injury.
• Supporters say later reviews by medical experts raise serious doubts about the original trial, and Calusinski’s family has fought for years to prove her innocence.