State Attorney Norman Wolfinger announced today his office will not retry the first-degree murder charge pending against William Dillon for the 1981 murder of James Dvorak.

After detailed and careful analysis and a substantial amount of work locating the individuals who testified in 1981 and re-interviewing them, we have arrived at the conclusion that a jury today would not find Mr. Dillon guilty beyond and to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt, he said.

A major function of our jury system is the evaluation of witnesses as they testify in the trial setting. It is the presentation of live testimony that the jury evaluates and weighs. Unfortunately, as a result of nine (9) witnesses now being deceased, and another witness who suffers medical issues that will substantially impair their ability to testify, the trial would primarily consist of a reading of prior trial testimony. The jury would have no opportunity to evaluate the actual witnesses to the events that occurred 27 years ago.

Prosecutors today filed a document formally dismissing the case against William Dillon.