CHICAGO, June 10 (UPI) -- A lawyer testified Thursday former Chicago Police Cmdr. Jon Burge admitted a man accused of killing two police officers was beaten to get a confession.
Diane Panos said her police officer boyfriend introduced her to Burge in the late 1980s. During the conversation Burge patted himself on the back for capturing Andrew Wilson, later convicted with his brother Jackie Wilson of killing two officers.
Andrew Wilson, who died in prison in 2007, claimed he was tortured by Burge.
Panos testified Burge showed no shame or remorse about the beating and abuse meted out after Wilson's arrest.
Wilson "got what he deserved," Panos testified Burge told her.
"I was appalled," she said, adding that Burge said defendants had no rights.
Burge is a decorated U.S. Army veteran and a former Chicago Police Department detective and commander accused of torturing more than 200 criminal suspects between 1972 and 1991 to force confessions. He is charged with perjury and obstruction of justice and is accused of lying in a civil suit when he denied knowing about or participating in the torture of suspects.
During cross-examination, Burge attorney Rick Beuke asked Panos how she deduced Burge was alluding to how Wilson was treated in police custody.
"When he said he got what he deserved, could he have been talking about how they (Wilson brothers) were properly found guilty or sentenced?" the Chicago Sun-Times quoted Beuke as asking.
"We were talking about defendants' rights, being guilty and securing confessions by any means," Panos said.
