Hobbs In Illinois To Help Repeal The Death Penalty
SPRINGFIELD (CBS) -- He is a father who spent five years in jail, accused of killing his daughter and her friend – and he didn't do it.
His lawyers say prosecutors forced a false confession, and later sat on the DNA evidence that ultimately cleared him.
For the first time, Jerry Hobbs sat down for a TV interview. On Monday, he spoke with CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman about his time behind bars and why he's back in Illinois.
Laura Hobbs, 8, and Krystal Tobias, 9, were found stabbed to death in Zion on Mother's Day, 2005. Laura Hobbs' father, Jerry, was jailed for five years charged with the two girls' murders. He was released in August because DNA evidence implicated another man.
During his stint in jail, Hobbs said he got used to people not believing his protests that he was wrongly detained.
"It's hard. As it goes on, you just watch time go by," he told Hartman in Springfield, where he was meeting this week with legislators on a bill to abolish the state's death penalty.
"I thought about my daughter a lot more than I thought about myself. As far as an end, there will never be an end to it. … Because I've lost my baby girl and I'll never be able to get her back."
Being branded a child killer has changed his life, Hobbs said.
"People look at you different," he said. "Not your loved ones, or people who are your true friends. Once they realize who you are, once they realize everything that's happened, some people don't want to believe certain things and some people do. It's hard to explain."
Hobbs said he now wants justice for his daughter and her friend, even though the process is moving slowly.
Attention in the murders is now focused on Jorge Torrez, 21, a former U.S. Marine and former Zion resident. His DNA has been linked to the crime scene. He was recently convicted of kidnapping and raping a college student in Virginia.
Hartman asked Hobbs about the false confession, but because of pending litigation he declined to answer. His legal team is expected to file suit against Lake County -- the county that charged him -- later this week.
Hobbs was expected to meet Tuesday with lawmakers to discuss a legislative push to formally end the death penalty in Illinois. A moratorium on executions has been in place following a series of exonerations and legal reversals in capital cases.
"The death penalty is wrong," Hobbs said. "There's cases out there that should be looked at."
