Prosecutors Allege Journalism Class Sought Testimony to Overturn Murder Conviction

Prosecutors alleged Tuesday that a group of Northwestern University journalism students paid two people to testify in a class project seeking to overturn a 1981 murder conviction. The claims marked the latest twist in a monthslong battle between the Cook County State's Attorney's office and the Medill Innocence Project at Northwestern. Past student research has helped set free 11 wrongly convicted men since 1992, including five on death row. The allegations Tuesday concern the 1978 murder of security guard Donald Lundahl in the southern suburb of Harvey. Anthony McKinney was found guilty of putting a shotgun in Mr. Lundahl's face and firing. In 1982, Mr. McKinney was sentenced to life in prison. Prosecutors allege the students paid a man $40 -- which authorities claim he used to buy crack cocaine -- in exchange for a videotaped confession to the murder. They also allege the students paid another man $50 to $100, though he didn't provide any information.