TUSCOLA — An attorney for a man who was wrongfully convicted of murder in the death of a 22-year-old Illinois State University student argued in a Douglas County courtroom that a jury should hear claims that three Normal police officers, who have since retired, botched the investigation.

Alan Beaman of Rockford served 13 years in prison for the slaying of his ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Lockmiller, who was found strangled and stabbed in her Normal apartment in August 1993. His conviction was vacated by the Illinois Supreme Court after DNA evidence pointed to other suspects.

Beaman seeking more than $50,000 in a lawsuit against the town of Normal and retired police officers Tim Freesmeyer, Dave Warner and Frank Zayas.

The lawsuit accuses the officers of ignoring other potential suspects and evidence that supported Beaman's alibi of being in Rockford when Lockmiller was killed, The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reported.

In his arguments against Normal's motion to end the lawsuit, attorney Locke Bowman said Tuesday that a panel of jurors from McLean County should judge the officer's conduct in the investigation.

"This matter needs to end where it began: with the citizens of McLean County. Let them decide," Bowman told Sixth Judicial Circuit Judge Richard Broch Jr., who was named to handle the lawsuit after Beaman asked for a judge outside the 11th Judicial Circuit, which includes McLean County.

In Beaman's 1994 trial, the state claimed that he sped from Rockford to Normal and killed Lockmiller.

Bowman argued in court that there's a lengthy list of alleged misconduct by Freesmeyer, the lead investigator in the case, including threats to Beaman that the state would pursue the death penalty against him.

"The wheels of justice have turned in such a way to do damage to an innocent human being," Bowman said.

Attorney Thomas DiCianni, who's representing the city, argued that police had plenty of reason to suspect Beaman, including his tumultuous relationship with Lockmiller and the physical evidence that placed him in her apartment.

Broch took the city's motion under advisement Tuesday. He's expected to issue a ruling in about two weeks.