Elkhart chief of police wants lieutenant fired after, "assault upon justice"

The Elkhart chief of police says one of his own officers committed “an assault upon the institution of justice” and wants to see him fired.

According to court findings in an overturned murder conviction, Elkhart police officer Lt. Carlton Conway was caught lying under oath. That lie led to the murder conviction of Andrew Royer, a man with mental disabilities, who spent 16 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit.

Notre Dame's newly-created Exoneration Justice Clinic showed an appeals court that Lt. Conway coerced a plea, fed key details about the murder to Royer, and may have committed felony perjury to cover it up.

Now, chief of police Kris Seymore is requesting the Police Merit Commission to terminate Lt. Conway's employment with the Elkhart Police Department.

In a letter to Lt. Conway, Chief Seymore wrote, "your conduct amounts to an assault upon the institution of justice... No measure of discipline for your conduct can restore your credibility."

In that letter, Chief Seymore also says any criminal case Lt. Conway worked on is now at risk of dismissal. Since the facts about the Royer murder case have become public, Chief Seymore wrote at least one federal bank robbery case was dismissed because Lt. Conway was the lead detective.

Lt. Conway is on paid administrative leave. His disciplinary hearing is scheduled October 6.

Full letter from Chief Seymore to Lt. Conway below: