Judge Acquits Man Who Served 22 Years For Naperville Arson Case

NAPERVILLE, IL — William Amor, who served 22 years in prison for the 1995 Naperville arson that killed his mother-in-law, was found not guilty of that same charge Wednesday. Amor's acquittal comes after weeks of testimony and a 7-day bench trial.

Amor's groundbreaking acquittal relied on "new fire science" that helped discredit Amor's original confession that he started the fire by lighting a newspaper that had been soaked in vodka. Fire experts testified that the blaze that killed Marianne Miceli would not have been scientifically possible to be started in such a manner.

Miceli died of smoke inhalation on September 10, 1995, after a fire broke out in the Naperville apartment she shared with Amor and her daughter.

In 1997, Amor was found guilty of murder and aggravated and arson and sentenced to 45 years in prison after he confessed to igniting the blaze. Amor's confession reportedly came after 15 hours of questioning and shortly after Amor had received divorce papers from Miceli's daughter.

>>Related: Naperville Arson Case's Fire Caused By Burning Cigarette:Expert

Amor's sentence was vacated in 2017 ahead of the recent retrial.

In a news release, DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said, "“While my office stands by our prosecution and we believe the evidence supported a finding of guilty, we certainly respect the Court’s decision.”

After his acquittal Wednesday, Amor said, "I am looking forward to starting the next phase of my life as a free man, no longer labeled as a murderer, for the first time in a long time."

>>Image via DuPage County Sheriff's Office